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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23587594">i've known the warmth of your doorway</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugaplumvisions/pseuds/sugaplumvisions'>sugaplumvisions</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, HQ Rarepair Bang 2020, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, Monster Hunters, Multi, Non-Graphic Violence, Other, Slow Burn, Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Werewolves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:00:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>28,371</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23587594</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugaplumvisions/pseuds/sugaplumvisions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Asahi is a werewolf on the run, injured by monster hunters. They take refuge with the only nonhuman they can find: Suga, a vampire. Asahi has to overcome their natural mistrust of the undead in order to survive. </p>
<p>When Daichi, a promising young hunter, is sent on his first solo mission, he finds two monsters for the price of one. However, as he starts to get close to them, he begins to see something more in them, a spark of humanity that goes contrary to everything he’s been taught about monsters. </p>
<p>Two creatures, one human. Three hereditary enemies. It’s a strange place to find friends, and a stranger place to find love.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Azumane Asahi/Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Minor or Background Relationship(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>64</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>HQ Rarepair Bang 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Here it finally is! The big bang piece you've all been waiting for!!!!!</p>
<p>I want to thank forever my artist, @vanilla_beanss on Twitter, who drew the lovely art at the end of chapter two.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Asahi sprints through the town as fast as their two legs will take them. It’s midnight, so there aren’t many people on the streets to see a heavily bleeding werewolf running at full pace. They’re mostly de-transformed, but still a little furry around the edges from injury and sheer panic. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They think they’ve shaken the hunters, but they can’t be sure enough until they find someplace to hole up. They run, lungs burning, the slashes across their chest stretching and shooting electric agony with every movement. Their clothes are soaked with blood and stick to their body, causing sharp, rhythmic pains as their shirt pulls away from the wounds with every step. Thankfully, their clothing retains enough of the blood that Asahi doesn’t seem to be leaving a trail for the hunters to follow. The ankle they’d twisted miles ago aches with every step. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They try to focus on running, but thoughts seep in through the haze of fear and desperation: </span>
  <em>
    <span>their pack</span>
  </em>
  <span>. What happened to their pack? After the hunters came, after Ukai howled “Scatter!” They’d all run off in different directions, the older wolves each goading hunters in their direction to protect the pups, even though the majority of them were not much older than pups themselves. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This is not the first time hunters have come for their pack. Asahi barely remembers the first time, being about five the first time it happened, but it had wiped out all the elders except Ukai, leaving him the only adult to take care of four pups. Asahi had come of age at sixteen, choosing to take on the responsibilities of an adult as the eldest of the cubs born before the massacre, and Tanaka and Noya had done the same a year later, in hopes that Hinata and Yachi would have the chance at a little more of a childhood. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Some childhood it’s shaping up to be, scattered to the four winds. Asahi only prays that Yachi and Hinata got away safely. Hinata is fast, and deadly protective of Yachi, so with any luck the two ran together in the opposite direction of their elders and are hidden away safely somewhere. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi can’t yet stand to think of the possibility that something else had happened. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They breathe in deep through their nose, trying to figure out if they are safe. It’s hard to get a proper fix on the hunters at this pace, so Asahi pauses to properly scent the air. The hunters are about a mile away, they determine, the full moon bringing their senses to peak efficacy. They smell something else on the air too, something sharp and cold. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vampire. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi isn’t keen on associating with a vampire at the best of times. Ukai had warned the pups a thousand times about vampires, about how they drink the blood of werewolves in order to strengthen their power. But this is the worst of times. It isn’t like they can go to a hospital; the hunters would look there first. Plus, the doctors would find out shortly that they were inhuman; only the gods know what would happen then. And they certainly can’t take refuge with a human. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The vampire it is. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The vampire is about half a mile away, in the opposite direction from the hunters. They lock onto the scent and lope through the streets, muscles burning from exhaustion, knowing that the hunters would be headed their way if they didn’t keep moving. They keep as steady a pace as they can, occasionally stumbling on their bad ankle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi follows the vampire’s scent to a house, small and squat but friendly-looking. Their fingers fumble on the latch of the gate. They growl under their breath as the blood on their hands and the slight claws on their fingers make the gate all but impossible to open. They fiddle with it for a few minutes before the gate finally swings inward. They shut it behind them, wanting to leave no clues of their presence, and run to the door to pound on it with all their quickly-flagging strength. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It only takes a moment before the vampire opens the door, flooding Asahi’s nose with the scent of cold metal. Their eyes fly open; their mouth hangs slack. The vampire is slender, with silver hair and wide hazel eyes. They don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>look </span>
  </em>
  <span>threatening, but with vampires, looks can be deceiving. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What--” the vampire begins.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please, help,” Asahi manages to gasp before their knees give out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The vampire hoists them up into their arms carefully, effortlessly. Asahi’s vision blurs. Their hearing sounds like it’s coming from underwater. Their eyes flicker shut, and they know no more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>#####</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they come to, they’re sitting in a chair by a fireplace, presumably in the vampire’s living room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The vampire says something Asahi can’t make out entirely, but the end bits of which sounds like “first aid kit.” That seems like a good enough idea. They say something else before walking out of the room, holding up one finger to let Asahi know they’d be back in just a moment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi slumps back against the chair as the vampire leaves. They have the time to worry about the vampire now. They haven’t fed from Asahi yet, but perhaps it’s just because they didn’t have that much blood left. Maybe they are only going to patch them up so that they’ll have enough in them to give the vampire a proper meal. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I found it!” the vampire announces, coming back into the room. Asahi’s neck creaks when they try to turn it, but they’re able to move just enough to see the vampire holding up a fairly large plastic case. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi blacks out again, and, when they come to, the vampire is slowly working at pulling up their shirt. They try to push the hands away with listless, uncoordinated movements, and the vampire instantly stops. Asahi looks up at them to see them blushing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, sorry,” the vampire says. “I have to get this off if I’m going to stop the bleeding.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi can see their blood on the vampire’s hands. The amount of self-restraint they’re exhibiting is shocking. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine,” Asahi croaks out, the words sticking in their throat. “Careful. Stuck.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The vampire coaxes up the hem of their shirt and runs gentle hands up over Asahi’s torso, slowly working the fabric away from the injury. Asahi hisses in pain. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shoot, sorry,” the vampire apologizes again. “Maybe we should try easing it away with water? We probably should clean the wound too. I don’t know what did this to you but it probably wasn’t particularly clean.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Monster hunters,” Asahi says. “I think...” they trail off, trying to summon up the energy to make complete sentences. They fail. “Bronzed werewolf claws.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good gods,” the vampire says, looking a bit ill. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Asahi says. “Bad.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The vampire hefts Asahi up into their arms and carries them to the bathroom, easing them down into a large bathtub. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tell me if it’s too hot,” the vampire says. “I run cold, so I don’t really feel it as much as you might.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They turn on the water steaming hot, and Asahi scrambles back as best they can and swears. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Too hot then,” the vampire says, turning another knob. It takes a bit of adjustment before they find a comfortable temperature for Asahi, but they manage to find it, running the water until it covers their chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here, let’s let you soak for a minute. Should loosen things up.” The vampire smiles at them reassuringly, showing a hint of fang. It’s not as soothing as they probably meant it to be. “I’m sorry you ended up on my doorstep like this,” the vampire says. “What horrific people.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Asahi says. It’s all the words they have left. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I…don’t really have a protocol for injured werewolves showing up at my door,” the vampire says. “I probably should introduce myself? I’m Sugawara Koushi; you can call me Suga. Everyone does. They/them for today, though it’s subject to change tomorrow. And I’m a vampire.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Noticed.” Asahi pauses to heave a deep breath. “Why I came here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga facepalms. “Of course you did. Obviously you’d be able to smell it on me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Azumane Asahi,” Asahi says. “Also they.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nice to meet you, Azumane-san, though I wish it had been under better circumstances,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just Asahi,” Asahi corrects, seeing no need to stand on ceremony when they’re already in a stranger’s bathtub. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s nice to meet you, Asahi,” Suga says, voice soft. “I’m so sorry about what happened to you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Asahi says. They’re not sure what else to say. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The water gets steadily redder as Asahi’s shirt begins to pull away from their chest. Suga looks down at it and frowns. “We should probably get you out of that shirt and stop the bleeding.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi wiggles around to try to get their shirt off and lets out an involuntary grunt as they pull at their wounds with the movements. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here, let me,” Suga says, moving slowly, gently. They ease Asahi out of their shirt as Asahi obediently lifts their arms as far as they can go. It’s not very far, but enough to get the shirt the rest of the way off them. Suga swears as they see the full extent of the injuries. They look Asahi up and down and bite their lip.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They really messed you up, huh?” Suga asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Looks like,” Asahi says, looking down at their chest. If they weren’t a werewolf, they’d probably have passed out or  died long ago. The adrenaline is still cutting off the worst of the pain, though they have no doubt they’ll be feeling it in the morning. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I ought to give you some juice or crackers or something,” Suga says, “but my fridge is pretty much just blood. I’ll run to the store after I fix you up?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi shakes their head. “Don’t have to. Or…Wallet is in jeans?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They both look down at Asahi’s bottom half, covered in denim and bloody water.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m not gonna worry about it,” Suga says, and stifles half a laugh. They reach into the tub and pull the plug, letting the water drain out. “You should probably get out of those, though. I have some yoga pants that would probably stretch to fit. Can you change on your own, or do you need help?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi’s dignity is pretty far gone, but not far enough that showing a complete stranger their dick seems like a great idea. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Change myself,” Asahi says valiantly. They’re a touch more alert already, their lightning-fast healing replacing the blood little by little, but if they don’t get food and rest soon, they’ll be in even worse shape. Thankfully, Suga seems to be determined to take care of them on that front. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good. Then you won’t freeze to death in wet clothing,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga disappears at a speed currently incomprehensible to Asahi and is back in only a few moments, holding dry yoga pants and underwear. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll just…” they gesture awkwardly at the door. “Give you some privacy. If you don’t come out in five minutes, I’m assuming you’ve passed out and coming in after you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi struggles to sit up fully enough to get out of the bath.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, fuck, maybe I should actually help you up first,” Suga says. They bite their lip and duck their head briefly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga reaches into the bath and scoops them up easily, dirtying their shirt. Asahi would blush at being shirtless and cradled bridal-style were it not for the blood loss and the distraction of the pain that’s causing starbursts against their eyelids every time they blink. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga sets them down and looks them over. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Actually, you’ll probably want to rinse off. Here, turn your back to the water so that it doesn’t run right into the cuts?” they say, opening the shower door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi tries standing on their own, and their body promptly decides against that choice. They buckle back into Suga’s waiting arms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, so I’m going to help you in the shower,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi rinses themself off without too much incident.The water flowing over their injuries doesn’t cause too much pain, as Suga’s tweaked the settings to lukewarm. Suga, however, is soaked, and Asahi feels awful for getting them all bloody and wet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry for…” Asahi trails off, trying to think of how to encompass everything they want to apologize for. “Everything. Collapsing on your doorstep. Collapsing in general. Getting you all bloody.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga takes a deep breath, starts to say something, reconsiders. Their eyes dart to the floor, and they squeeze Asahi’s bicep where they’re holding them up. “What are we as inhumans if we can’t stand together against hunters?” Suga asks quietly. “That’s how I lost my parents. If someone like me had been there for them, maybe they’d be with me today.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga smiles, small and strained, and Asahi makes their best attempt at offering one back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not scared I’ll attract them?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga shakes their head. “If they were going to come tonight, they would have come already.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi frowns, still worried. Suga lays the hand that’s not currently supporting them on their shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Asahi, I promise it’s going to be alright,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi nods slowly, but doesn’t believe Suga. Their thoughts flit back to their pack. They didn’t have a surprisingly friendly vampire ready to take them in. They only had the hunters and the woods. Asahi feels sick, realizing how lucky they’d gotten and that their pack didn’t get the same. That their pack is likely dead. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Think I’m clean,” they say, not knowing what else to say.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga turns off the shower and they stand there together, soaked, avoiding each other’s eyes. “How do you want to handle changing?” they ask. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi shrugs, wincing as they do, not realizing how much it would hurt. “Just set me down. I’ll scoot it on.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll give you five minutes,” Suga says. “And if I hear a thud, I’m coming in.” They set Asahi down on the floor and set the clothes down beside them before walking out of the room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi manages to get their jeans unbuttoned, which, between the wet fabric and their claws, still stubbornly staying out from the full moon, is harder than they think it has any right to be. They shimmy them slowly down their hips with all the energy they have left. Finally, the soaked pants are off, and Asahi pulls on Suga’s clean clothes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m done,” Asahi calls out of the room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s get you off the floor,” Suga says as they open the door, now dressed in clean and dry clothes themself. Asahi can’t stop marveling at how the slender vampire lifts Asahi’s much larger frame like it’s nothing. They’ve never been around a vampire before, thanks to Ukai’s warnings, and understand now why they’d be such a threat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga sets them down in the same chair they were in before, the one in the living room, this time with a towel laid over it. “Let’s get you taken care of,” they say. They look over Asahi’s wounds and hum disapprovingly. “They really got you, didn’t they?” Their voice is low and soothing. They crack open the first aid kit. “I don’t trust myself to put stitches in, so we’ll pack them with gauze now that you’ve gotten cleaned up.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi nods. Suga begins packing the wound with deft fingers, and Asahi hisses in pain. Everything is hazy, and for a moment they forget Suga is helping them and try to shove their hands away. But the hands don’t move, staying still with preternatural strength. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I know it hurts,” Suga says, apologetic. “I’m sorry. I’ve got to pack it so it can heal.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Asahi says and promptly passes out. </span>
</p>
<p><span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span></p>
<p>
  <span>Suga finishes packing the wound, carefully winding a bandage around it to keep it  clean, and lifts Asahi up off their chair into the bedroom. They have a large Western-style bed in the main bedroom, and they decide Asahi will be more comfortable on that than on a futon in the spare room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi rouses and mumbles something incoherent as Suga carries them from the living room to the bedroom. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sssssh,” Suga says. “It’s just me. Just taking you to bed.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They don’t strictly </span>
  <em>
    <span>like</span>
  </em>
  <span> doing this, but Asahi looks agitated and is beginning to thrash in their arms, risking injuring themself farther, so they stare into their eyes, putting them under their Thrall. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You will fall into a deep and dreamless sleep until you are rested,” Suga says. Morally it’s a grey area, but in this case it’s nothing more than anesthetic for the delirious wolf in their arms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi instantly relaxes. Suga smiles and sets them down on the bed, tucking them in only up to their waist so that the sheets don’t stick if they bleed through the gauze. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sleep well, Asahi,” they whisper as they leave the room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>#####</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The grocery store is an unusual experience. They’re clueless at shopping for food, not ever having had to worry about such things as a born vampire. They buy a bunch of juice, some crackers, and a lot of frozen meals that they’ll be able to reheat quickly without having to know anything about cooking. They also grab an assortment of paper plates and plastic utensils, having nothing but mugs for blood. They carry it all home, the streets empty and quiet as they mull over what Asahi will need. Food they have under control, at least for now. They’ll need accommodations in the house as they begin to heal: grab bars in the bathroom, a grab rail on the bed.... And they’ll need better pillows for the spare room. All that can be ordered online tomorrow and installed at their leisure, as Asahi will just be in bed for a good while. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga arrives at their house, street still quiet. No sign of monster hunters. They load the food and utensils into the previously-empty cabinets and freezer, and set to scrubbing the bloodstained chair. At least it was red to begin with? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Something strikes them as they’re scrubbing. They should tell the clan about what’s happening. They pull their phone out of their pocket and dial Takeda’s number. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He picks up the phone after three rings. “Hello?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Something…happened.” Suga says, not bothering with time for niceties. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you all right?” Takeda asks instantly. “Do I need to come help you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have it under control for now,” Suga says. “But I think you should call a clan meeting. There’s been hunters active in the area.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Takeda gasps. “I’ll call everyone now. Meet me at my house in half an hour.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga checks in on Asahi while they wait to leave, watching them sleep, afraid that if they look away, they’ll stop breathing. Eventually they have to pry themself away because the clan meeting is imminent. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It’s a relatively short walk to Takeda’s house, but it seems like forever because Suga is too afraid to use their speed outside the house. When they arrive, Shimizu is already there. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I heard there were hunters,” she says. “Are you all right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m okay,” Suga assures her. “But the werewolf in my bed…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s a werewolf in your bed?” Tsukishima says as he and Yamaguchi walk in, raising an eyebrow as far as it will go. “Kinky much?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not like that!” Suga sputters. “You know I wouldn’t willingly associate with a werewolf were it not an emergency situation.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what’s the emergency?” Tsukishima asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll tell you when everyone else gets here,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rest of the clan, Ennoshita, Kinoshita, and Narita, files in one by one. Takeda motions each of them to seats. He has a lot of seating in his living room so as to be able to hold clan meetings there, and Suga is thankful they don’t have to sit on the floor as they sink into a chair. They’re tired, not having been able to get to sleep until well into the day, and dealing with the werewolf exhausted them mentally and emotionally. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve gathered you all here today to hear what Sugawara—what honorific today?” Takeda says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kun,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What Sugawara-kun has to say about monster hunters,” Takeda finishes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga turns a bit in their chair so that they’re facing the entire rest of the clan. Fear is plain on Yamaguchi and Ennoshita’s faces. Tsukishima and Shimizu are both trying to mask it, but it’s clear that they’re both concerned as well. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So there are hunters operating in the area,” Suga says. “A werewolf showed up on my doorstep about to bleed to death today. They said that the cause of the injury was a group of hunters who went after their pack, and the injury itself was made with a set of bronzed werewolf claws.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga pauses, waiting to hear everyone’s reactions and input. They look around to see horror on the faces of their fellow vampires. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s horrific,” Narita says. Kinoshita and Shimizu nod their agreement. Kageyama glowers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you have this wolf in your possession now?” Takeda asks. His voice is flat, but with a tinge of concern over the put-on lack of emotion. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do. They’re asleep in my bed currently, recovering. I packed their wounds and intend to care for them until they get better,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you know how werewolves can be,” Takeda says. “They draw…unwanted attention as they can operate during the day. And it’s the full moon, so they’ll be having even more trouble controlling their shifts. They could do you serious damage if they lost control.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They seem too injured to manage a full transformation,” Suga says. “I’m not going to just let them die. Not after what happened to my parents.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t expect you to,” Takeda says, then lays a hand on Suga’s shoulder.  “But after they’re healed, they have to go.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga nods. “Believe me, I’m not planning on keeping them around any longer than I have to.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what does the hunters operating here mean?” Shimizu asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We will have to be extra careful about operating at night from now on,” Takeda says. “No using any powers outside the house, and try to get any errands done either during the day with proper--and subtle--protective measures, or in the early evening.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thankfully it’s only early spring, so it still gets dark at a time when most people would be out and about. Suga should still be able to get their errands done, even with their nighttime activities curtailed. It will be a boring life, though. They sigh, ever-so-quietly under their breath, and Takeda raises his eyebrows at them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How long do you think we’ll have to operate so carefully?” Narita asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think that a month would do it. After the next full moon, we can go back to our usual schedules.” Takeda turns to Suga. “The wolf needs to be gone before the next full moon. We have to protect our clan, and I understand if it sounds harsh, but my priority has to be all of you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga nods. “I understand. They will be.” They fight to keep their breathing steady, realizing for the first time the enormity of the situation they’ve found themself in. There was a half-dead werewolf in their bed. Hunters were on the prowl. Everything was going wrong all so suddenly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Takeda nods back at them. “So it sounds like we specifically are not being targeted,” he says, turning to the rest of them. “I will keep an eye and ear out for anything unusual, but overall I would not be too worried, so long as you limit your trips outside and otherwise exercise appropriate caution. Remember, curtains </span>
  <em>
    <span>closed</span>
  </em>
  <span> at night, as well as during the day.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Takeda-san,” the younger vampires say in unison. They’d heard the order about the curtains a thousand times, but this time it holds more weight behind it. The stakes are real now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Plus, Takeda deserved their respect. He was all of their sire or grandsire. He’d turned Suga’s mother after she’d been hit by a car and almost died, sired Shimizu after she’d caught a bad case of pneumonia she couldn’t shake, sired Kageyama after he’d hunted him down and presented his case for being made a vampire, and so on. The whole clan owed its existence, and many of them their lives, to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sugawara-kun, unless you have anything else to say?” Takeda says, looking to Suga. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s all I know right now,” Suga says. “I’ll tell you if I find anything else out, but the wolf seemed pretty clear headed when they told me what had happened.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then this meeting is adjourned,” Takeda says. “It was good to see you all.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they walk out, Shimizu waits behind for Suga. She raises her eyebrows at them, puts a hand on their shoulder, and speaks with a face of concern. “Are you sure you’re alright? That would be harrowing to anyone, much less with your history with hunters.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga musters up a half-smile. “I’m fine, really,” they say, preferring to have their impending panic attack in the peace of their own guest room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shimizu gives them a look that says she doesn’t believe them. “If you’re sure,” she says. “You know you have my number.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,” Suga says, putting their hand over hers and gently squeezing. “Thank you, Kiyoko, really.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Be careful out there,” she says as they walk out into the cold night air. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga nods. “Same to you.” </span>
</p>
<p><span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span></p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi’s stomach flutters with anxiety. He hasn’t been alone with his grandfather since he was a little boy, his many cousins and his grandfather’s busy schedule as the leader of the foremost family of monster hunters in Miyagi keeping them from ever really spending much time together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Daichi,” his grandfather says. His voice is as commanding as the rest of him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes sir?” Daichi looks up at him. There’s nothing like standing next to the tallest man he knows to make him feel even more like the baby of the family. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have an assignment for you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi expects something simple, like “research this person,” “map out where this suspect could be,” or “go spar with this cousin until you beat him three times.” Easy stuff. Stuff he’d done a million times. Still, it’s strange that his grandfather is asking him in person. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes sir?” Daichi says, waiting to hear. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Last night, we raided a pack of werewolves,” his grandfather says. “Most of them we lost track of completely, but one was badly wounded, and we were able to follow him for a few miles until he lost us in a populated area. We have a lead out north on a hill of fae, and our resources are better spent investigating that. And Daichi,” he says, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “It’s time you came of age. You’ll be in charge of finding the werewolf and tracking down his pack. Your uncle Akio will give you all the information you’ll need.” The old man tightens his grip on Daichi’s shoulder. “I know you’ve been waiting for your first solo mission. Don’t let us down.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi feels the weight of his grandfather’s hand and expectations, and for a moment wants to just run away. But he straightens his shoulders, bucks up under the pressure, and plasters on a confident smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, sir,” Daichi says, bowing as his grandfather waves him out of the room, to where Akio is waiting to debrief him. They settle down at the table in the room next door. His uncle lays out a map on the table. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here,” he says, pointing to a point marked on the map in red, “is where we last saw the wolf. We think he took shelter somewhere in the surrounding town.” The town is circled in yellow. “He was severely injured; he wouldn’t have been able to make it more than a mile. I’d search a mile and a half, just to be sure. We last saw him traveling southwest, though that doesn’t mean much; he probably doubled back at some point to lose us.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So I need to go door to door?” Daichi asks. Door to door canvassing is easily his least favorite assignment, but he isn’t about to let his family down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s up to you how you handle this,” Akio says. “It’s your assignment. But door to door sounds like a good place to start. The wolf is tall, well over 180 cm, with long brown hair and a goatee. We’ve put together an approximate sketch.” He hands a sketch of an admittedly handsome man to Daichi. “He was in wolf form when we attacked, but we have been doing reconnaissance on them all for some time, preparing for this.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s striking,” Daichi says, looking over the sketch. “It shouldn’t be hard.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s a first assignment,” his uncle says. “It’s not meant to be.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Someone must have seen him,” Daichi says, already strategizing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was midnight,” Akio says. “But you’re right, he’ll have to surface eventually.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll need a police badge,” Daichi says. “Door to door is useless without one.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course,” Akio says, holding up one for him. “We got fresh identification printed up for you this morning. We booked you a hotel around where we last saw him, but obviously you’ll have a budget should you need lodging closer to where the pack was last seen. Our client is paying a mint for werewolf pelts.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi tries not to think too long on that last sentence. He’s making the world a better place, a safer place. The money didn’t figure into it for him. He just wants to help people, and if that happens to make his family money, he just wouldn’t think about the dirty details. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll of course have all the standard equipment,” his uncle says. “The armory is yours to choose from. I put you together a full file with all the details on the pack. It’s a pack of six, mostly youngsters. We’ve hit them before, and got most of the adults then, but the remaining bastard is wilier and has trained the pups well.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi doesn’t like the idea of bringing in children, even young werewolves, but then again, even a young wolf could bite. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not going to kill the pups, are you?” he asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you take me for, a monster?” Akio says. “We’ll keep them out back with the rest. It’s always a good idea to have a few wolves to test our supplies on.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi nods, feeling a little sick. But it’s all for the greater good, isn’t it? To keep people safe from the monsters outside their door. Nothing is more important than that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He flips through the folder, seeing files on the remaining five members. One adult, imposing with bleached hair and piercings. Two boys on the verge of manhood, both a little wild-looking, as was expected of werewolves. Two adolescent pups, a boy and a lone girl. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They couldn’t, of course, have struck while the wolves were in human form or around other people; it would just look like a kidnapping, or worse, a murder. Werewolves didn’t turn to ash like vampires. They left bodies to get rid of. That was why they had to tail the pack till they were transformed, and then bring them in or kill them. The Sawamura family had an unblemished record of never being caught by those unaware of the supernatural, and they didn’t intend to change it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll find them,” he promises. He’s going to do it. He’s going to make the world a safer place. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>#####</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The armory is empty except for Daichi. He goes down the amply-stocked rows, picking out knives, silver-bulleted guns, and magical artifacts. It would almost be overwhelming if he hadn’t been raised running through these aisles to get something or another for his older family members. He passes by a clawed gauntlet with a shudder. His standard kit contains three knives, one his lucky knife given by his father, a gun holstered on each thigh, and three stones: one that runs hot when a wolf is nearby, one that heats up at the presence of fae, and one that burns when a vampire is near. He’s never actually used it all at once, but they’re all in his space in the armory. His city kit has the stones, a knife sheathed on each thigh, and a gun tucked in his waistband. He puts on the city kit, picks out a few extra items—a gun he’s always coveted, two spare daggers, and an elegant set of throwing knives—and packs them carefully in his duffel bag. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I won’t let you down,” he says to his uncle as he leaves, with a wave goodbye. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’d best not, Daichi,” Akio says in response. “It’s an easy job; we know you can do it. Call when you’re ready for us to send a car.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He feels the pressure bearing down on him as he bikes to his house. It’s a short and easy trip from headquarters, even with the heavy duffel bag slung over his shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m home!” he calls as he steps into the house and pulls off his shoes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What did your grandfather want?” his father asks, eyeing the bag Daichi carries. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve got an assignment,” Daichi says, and for the first time it really hits him. He has an assignment! He’s a real adult now! “You know the wolf bust last night?” he asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The failed one?” his father says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not so failed, it turns out,” Daichi says. “They have leads on one of the wolves that they managed to injure, and I’m going to follow them.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“On your own?” his father asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“On my own!” Daichi says with a grin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re really becoming a man,” his father says, and in a mirror of his grandfather’s gesture earlier that day, claps a hand on his shoulder and squeezes. “Do us proud, Daichi.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There it is again, the pressure pooling low in his gut, tempered by the boundless joy of being given his own assignment. The two feelings war inside him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m going to go pack my clothes,” Daichi says. “I don’t want to let the lead go cold.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I believe in you,” his father says quietly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi nods and smiles. The pressure might be a good thing. He has to succeed at this if he is ever going to get out of his cousins’ shadow. And knowing everyone is counting on him is a good way to propel him forward. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you once again to my lovely artist, @vanilla_beanss on Twitter, for the lovely art at the end of this chapter!!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Asahi wakes up in a stranger’s bed. They lash out instinctively, shifting halfway, and immediately feel the transformation pull at their wounds. Human it is, for now. They try to sit up carefully and fall back onto the plentiful pillows in the unfamiliar bed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The events of last night come flooding back to them. The peaceful night in the woods with their pack, running together in wolf form. The panicked howls. The slice of the clawed gauntlet across their chest. Watching the pups run for their lives, and Tanaka and Noya and Ukai each taking a hunter to lead away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their pack. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They instinctively reach for their phone at their hip so they can call them, but they’re wearing borrowed yoga pants, not their familiar jeans, and their phone is nowhere to be seen. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Right. They got dunked in a bath fully clothed last night. Their phone is dead; there’s no doubt about it. How are they supposed to contact their pack? Is there any pack left to contact? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No. There can’t be. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hinata was fast, but Yachi wasn't nearly as athletic, and he wouldn’t go anywhere without her. The pups could have tried to fight, but they were unpracticed. Nishinoya would be no match for a hunter; he was small for a wolf, and though a fierce fighter, took too many risks. Tanaka would have the same problem, always taking risks he couldn’t afford. Ukai would have had the best chance of survival, but he was followed by more hunters than anyone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi would be sick, if there were anything in their stomach. As it is, they dry heave fruitlessly, shaking through it.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh good,” a lilting voice says. Asahi doesn’t recognize it for a moment, lost in the onslaught of everything that happened the night before and the knowledge that they are alone in the world, but it’s soon accompanied by a silver-haired head poking through the door. “You’re awake.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga. Asahi is faced with another onslaught of memory. Collapsing at their doorstep, being carried into the house, the pain of having their wound cleaned, Suga’s gentle hands… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> Suga brings in a jug of juice, a glass, and a plate of crackers. Asahi is distracted, at first, but begins to pay attention when they speak. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “You lost a lot of blood last night. I don’t know if you need a transfusion—I probably have the flavor you’d need in my fridge if you do, but I’d have to bite you to test your blood type, so I think you’d probably prefer that we do this the easy way and try replenishing your electrolytes first.” Their smile gets a little smaller, a little sadder. “I’m just happy you woke up,” they all but whisper. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me too,” Asahi says, and suddenly their heart speeds up, putting them almost back into fight-or-flight as they realize how lucky they were to have survived at all. “Though I guess I wouldn’t have noticed if I hadn’t.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga walks over to them and hands them a glass of juice. “Here, drink up,” they say. “No dying on my watch.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not planning on it,” Asahi says. Once they actually start drinking, they’re seized with a powerful thirst, and knock the glass back in two big gulps. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good,” Suga says. “You’ll need your strength.” They fill the glass again, and Asahi empties it four times in all. “Here, now eat something,” Suga says, shoving the crackers at them. Asahi eats them all quickly, then frowns. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think I ate too fast,” they say. “My stomach’s touchy.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s why I only brought a few,” Suga says. “You’re probably still a bit in shock, and that doesn’t go well with eating a lot. The juice, at least, should be easier on your stomach.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi nods. “Thank you. For everything. I’ll be out of your hair now and find somewhere to hole up until I heal.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They try to stand up and immediately collapse back onto the bed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll do no such thing,” Suga says. “I spoke to my clan about you last night, and they said you can stay until your wounds heal.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How long was I out?” Asahi asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga looks at the clock on the wall. “It’s about six now, so I’d say a good sixteen, seventeen hours?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi frowns. They were taking up this stranger’s bed for seventeen hours? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You must have really needed it,” Suga continues. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you get any sleep?” Asahi asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I slept at sunrise,” Suga says. “In the spare room on a futon. You clearly needed the big bed.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t have to be so nice to me,” Asahi says. “Honestly, what have I ever done for you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You survived,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There’s a strange silence then, something thick and heavy and electric. Then Suga flashes a smile, and it’s broken. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now come on, you. Let’s get your wounds checked out.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi grunts as Suga effortlessly lifts them into their arms and brings them back into the chair they’d been in last night. The fire burns brightly today, chasing away the gloom that the lack of sunlight might otherwise provide. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga cuts through the gauze on their wounds with bandage scissors and carefully unpacks the cuts, throwing the used gauze away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t see any signs of infection yet,” Suga says, “which is a good sign. I picked up some more gauze last night, and tonight I’ll buy you some new clothes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t have to—” Asahi protests. “I have money.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Takeda-san, the leader of our clan, bought some very good stocks a few decades ago,” Suga says. “Our clan, including myself, has more money than we’ll ever be able to spend. So let me handle this. Besides, vampire sensibilities are a bit different than werewolf ones. You’ll need something other than jeans and flannel.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How did you know I liked flannel?” Asahi asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga snorts. “Werewolf.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi cocks their head. “What’s that supposed to mean?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga shrugs. “Just that your aesthetics are a bit predictable. I’ll get you some pajamas until you’re healed up a bit more, and then we’ll worry about better clothes when we can actually get you measured.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Measured? Asahi hasn’t owned anything they had to be measured for in their life. They look Suga up and down. They’re dressed in a ruffled white blouse, a black skirt that brushes their kneecaps, and a grey cardigan. It’s practical, neat, and classy. Asahi doesn’t doubt that it cost more than they make in a month. Or made; they would almost definitely have no job to come back to when they were healed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi finds their gaze lingering on Suga’s face, and heat floods their cheeks. It was natural, right? Even if they’re a vampire, it’s normal to want to look at attractive things. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wait, attractive? Did they just think of Suga as attractive? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was natural to think they were attractive, right? They were their savior, and their hair was such a soft silver, and their eyes so arresting, and—</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi’s thoughts are cut off as Suga begins to wet gauze and repack the wound. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hurts,” they hiss through their teeth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,” Suga says, laying a hand on their hand, “But we can’t just leave these open.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga goes back to packing their wounds, and Asahi quickly gets distracted from their thoughts about Suga in favor of thoughts of their pack. Suga doesn’t comment until they’re done, only asking them to lean forward so that they can rewrap their chest in gauze to protect the wounds. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There you go,” Suga says, patting them on the back. “Will you be all right if I leave you alone in the bathroom? I’ll leave you some pajamas too.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> good hearing, so just call if you need me,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi is never going to get used to being picked up and carried. Suga is completely unaffected, acting like it’s just a normal day carrying around an injured werewolf. Maybe vampires are just so weird that this doesn’t even register on their weirdness scale? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga plops them down on the floor of the bathroom. “I’m going to have to install you some grab bars once you’re feeling a little more like standing on your own,” they say. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You really don’t have to go to all that trouble for me,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga waves them off. “You’ll take a few weeks to heal up, even with werewolf healing. Neither of us want me hauling you in and out of the bathtub or on and off the toilet.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi shakes their head. “Not doing that would be preferable. But you really don’t have to keep me, I swear. I’ll get going as soon as I can stand again.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga frowns. “You’ll do no such thing. The clan says I can keep you ‘till the next full moon. And I don’t intend to send you out into the hunters’ waiting arms.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi swallows hard. “Fine. We’ll talk about it more later?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga raises an eyebrow. “You can, but I’ll say the same thing. You’re not a prisoner, but you really should stay ‘till you’re healed.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t understand why you’re being so nice to me,” Asahi says. The conversation is awkward from their spot on the floor, looking up at Suga standing in the doorway. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I told you last night. Though maybe you forgot; you were pretty out of it. I want to be the person my parents didn’t have.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi can’t argue with that. Dead parents are a pretty good trump card. So instead, they take the pajamas Suga offers them before leaving Asahi alone in the bathroom with their thoughts. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>#####</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So,” Suga says, coming in one morning. “I need to talk to you about something.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi sighs and braces themself. “Right,” they say. “This is the part where you drink my blood.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Suga asks. “No? I have blood in the fridge?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi cocks their head in confusion. “But I’m a werewolf.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What does that have to do with anything?” Suga asks, looking about as bewildered as Asahi. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re a vampire?” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m all grown up,” Suga says. “I can control myself. And I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>full.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But my blood will make you stronger.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where the hell did you hear that?” Suga asks, visibly surprised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s what we hear since we’re babies,” Asahi says. “Vampires seek out werewolves to drink their blood, because it gives them power.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean, maybe it would?” Suga asks. “But vampires...We avoid werewolves. You’re unpredictable in your shifts and you’re strong enough to be dangerous to us.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We can control ourselves,” Asahi says, offended on behalf of their whole species. “We’re not mindless animals.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They look at each other, eyes meeting and not flinching away. Suga nods slowly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We both got told a lot of things about each other, didn’t we?” Suga asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Asahi says, still not sure they believe what Suga says. But they’re not biting them right now, which is a point in their favor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can we start over without the preconceptions?” Suga asks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll try,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi. I’m Suga, and I’m a vampire,” Suga says, waving. They look strangely vulnerable and a touch...adorable? Is that the right word? “And I won’t drink your blood.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi huffs out air through their nose in half a laugh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi. I’m Asahi, and I’m a werewolf, and I’m not a brainless beast.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That brings me to my reason for talking to you,” Suga says. They sit down on the bed and lay a hand on Asahi’s knee. “I had to put you under my Thrall the other night, when you first arrived. I just used it to sedate you, I swear.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi is shaken, at first, and their hand flies to their neck, feeling for bite marks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t bite you, really,” Suga says. “Though I understand why you’d think that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There’s nothing there. No wounds, no new scars. Asahi realizes slowly that Suga may actually be telling the truth. And if it was only sedation… Asahi thinks back to the heavy, dreamless sleep that allowed them to begin to heal. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t have to tell me that. I would never have known.’” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I would have.” Suga looks at the ground. “And I can’t live with that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh,” Asahi says. They just breathe for a minute, trying to figure out what to say. Suga shifts nervously on the bed next to them, until Asahi looks them in the eyes again. “Thank you for telling me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe Suga could be trusted after all. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>#####</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Days pass. Asahi’s wounds start to heal. Suga respects their relative quiet, and they spend a lot of time in silence, worrying about their pack. Suga carefully packs and bandages Asahi’s wounds every day, and true to their word, gets them grab bars in the bathroom, as well as around the house. Asahi slowly gets steadier on their feet, and finally, Suga deems them well enough to go outside. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s finally time to start gardening,” Suga says one day with a smile as they’re packing gauze into Asahi’s cuts. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gardening? You garden?” Asahi says. “You don’t eat.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mostly grow flowers,” Suga says. “Though this year I may grow some fresh food for you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi doesn’t miss the implication that they’ll be around to eat the food. Well, healing up and leaving Suga’s house didn’t necessarily mean that they’ll never see Suga again. It just means that things will shift, that they’ll no longer be so reliant on the vampire. Ghosting them wouldn’t be remotely in the realm of politeness after everything they’d done for Asahi. And, gods help them, Asahi didn’t want to. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want to help me?” Suga says. “We’ll have to weed and loosen up the flower beds before anything can grow. It’s not very heavy work because it’s good soil, but if it’s too much for you, you don’t have to do anything.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want to,” Asahi says. And they find they mean it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga takes them out to the garden just after sunset, when the sky is still a bit light. There’s little lights in the garden too, low to the ground, and Asahi imagines Suga sitting on the bench there on quiet nights and stargazing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga hands them a hand fork and they take it, grasping the base firmly, if a little confusedly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t…actually know how to use this,” they say. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll show you,” Suga says, holding out their hand for the fork, which Asahi gives back readily. They kneel in the dirt and gently use it to lever a weed out of the soil. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See, it lets you pull weeds without leaving any roots behind, so that this way they won’t regrow,” Suga says. “It takes a gentle but steady hand. You think you can do it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not sure,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here, take the fork?” Suga says, handing it back to them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi takes the fork and kneels down next to Suga. “Let’s get this weed,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What if I rip the roots and ruin the garden?” Asahi asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“First of all, one weed isn’t going to ruin the garden,” Suga says. “Second of all,” and here they smile ever so gently, “I’m going to help you.” Their voice drops to a whisper. “Can I touch your hand?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi nods. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They cover Asahi’s hand with their own. Their hand is small and cool and the gesture feels so intimate, even for someone who’s been seeing them shirtless and treating their wounds. There’s something different about this, a touch not born of need. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi swallows down the thoughts as Suga guides them to the weed and helps them capture it in the fork’s tines. Asahi’s hands tremble ever-so-slightly, but Suga’s are steady over theirs, helping lever it up gently. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look at that!” Suga crows as it lifts up. “A complete root system!” They smile at Asahi and clap a gentle hand on their back. “You learned something new!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi looks at Suga, at the way the moonlight lights up the silver of their hair, at the way their lips quirk when they smile, at their wide, shining eyes, and smiles at them, small and soft. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess I did.” </span>
</p>
<p><span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span></p>
<p>
  <span>The garden doesn’t actually need that much work, Suga thinks after a few days of working together every night. Suga took good care of it the year before, weeding everything and mulching it down before the cold struck. But it’s good for Asahi to have that time in the fresh air, and it’s something that will let them feel useful. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga can’t imagine being laid up for weeks; they’ve never so much as been sick, much less seriously injured. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want to garden again today?” they ask as they pack Asahi’s wounds. Their fingers dance around the edges of the cuts, feeling for any swelling or heat. “You’re looking great here, by the way. No sign of infection still.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, I guess?” Asahi says.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re welcome,” Suga says with a smile. “You’re doing a great job healing. You’ve kept everything so clean, and you haven’t pushed yourself too far.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I would hate to see all your hard work go to waste,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga smiles. “It’s your hard work too. Here, feel this?” They take Asahi’s hand and raise it to their chest. “The edges of the cuts are starting to draw together. Your body is working so hard, and it’s because you’re taking care of yourself.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Asahi says again, more heartfelt this time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re welcome,” Suga says. They smile at them, then repeat the question they asked before they got distracted. “Do you want to garden again today?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It would be nice to get outside some,” Asahi says. “But it’s sunlight?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can get out my gloves and parasol,” Suga says. “I won’t be able to do much work, but, unlike me, I think you’d do good getting some sunlight instead of just being trapped inside all day eating frozen food.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That reminds me,” Asahi says. “I’ve been wondering—stop me if I’m being rude.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t imagine you being,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Can</span>
  </em>
  <span> you eat? Or do you just not bother?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga shrugs. “I’ve eaten a couple of times before. It was…strange.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was wondering,” Asahi says, “Because I would like to start cooking, if you’d enjoy it. I’ve had enough of lazing around feeling useless.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you well enough to be around hot things?” Suga asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can have you put things in and out of the oven,” Asahi says. “That’s an awkward angle and would really hurt. But I think I can handle a stovetop just fine.” They smile. “And to answer your earlier question, yes, I would love to garden.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Be right back,” Suga says. They zip off at top speed and grab a big floppy hat, gloves, leggings, sunglasses and a parasol, so that none of their skin will be exposed to the sun when they go outside. “Back!” they announce. “Let’s go out?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga offers their arm to Asahi, more out of habit than anything else. They’d needed it the first few days, when they were as wobbly on their feet as a newborn deer. Even now, their range of movement is limited, and Suga worries they wouldn’t be able to catch themself if they fell. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds good to me,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi looks up at the sun the second they get outside. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t look right at it!” Suga protests. “You’ll lose your eyesight!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> would lose your eyesight,” Asahi says. “I’ve got magical werewolf healing powers and no sensitivity to sunlight whatsoever.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga snorts. “Your healing powers are a bit busy right now, so don’t go blinding yourself until you can at least raise your arms all the way.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Or what? You’ll keep me imprisoned in your big vampiric castle for longer? Make a kept wolf out of me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah. It’ll be a regular Beauty and the Beast situation.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi laughs. “I always imagined I’d be the Beast in that—wait a second, did you just call me a beauty?” Their voice is light, but the two peaks of red on their cheekbones show that they’re genuinely flustered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t go getting used to it, big guy,” Suga says, ever-so-gently shoving their shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That night, Suga goes to the grocery store to buy ingredients for Asahi to cook with, before promptly realizing that they have no idea what people actually cook with. They end up buying a few packs of ramen, three heads of garlic, an onion, a bottle of olive oil, every spice in the store, two loaves of bread, and three steaks, because they actually looked tasty, though Suga was inclined to eat them as they were, bloody and raw. They also picked up every piece of cooking equipment in the store, because they owned nothing and weren’t sure what Asahi needed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They’re taking a tentative bite of the steak when Asahi wakes up that morning and wanders into the kitchen. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know, I promise I’m well enough to sleep on a futon. You really don’t have to keep giving me your bed,” Asahi says. They rub their eyes and then focus on Suga. “What the hell are you doing?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Trying food?” Suga says, fork frozen halfway to their mouth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Listen. We both have our bestial instincts. We both have urges to sometimes just…eat a raw steak. But Suga, not at 9 in the morning, and not without at least trying it cooked first, and for the love of all that is holy, please do not engage in your food crimes in front of me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga puts their fork down, sheepish. “It looked tasty?” they offer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please let me cook you a steak. Wait, why do you have a steak?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I tried to get you things to cook last night. It did not go well. What do people who consume things other than blood eat, anyway? Or, like, I know the general foods. I’m not completely clueless. I just don’t know how people actually combine lesser foods into greater foods.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi muffles a laugh. “First of all, I don’t think they’re usually called that. You know, you could have just taken me grocery shopping.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wanted to surprise you,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi lays a gentle hand on their arm. “You took me into your home. You care for my wounds every day. You let me garden in your garden. You talk to me and actually listen to what I say. You have no need to do anything further for me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe I want to?” Suga says. They don’t move out from the touch, and something in them is surprised to find that they welcome it, that part of them thrills that after so many days spent touching Asahi, now Asahi is comfortable enough with them to touch back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve done so much for me, Suga. This is supposed to be something for me to do for you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then take me to the grocery store,” Suga says. “I’ll get my gloves and parasol. I can stay up a little late; you know I only need a few hours anyway.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am convinced,” Asahi says, “That you actually need sleep but you’re making up lies about vampires because I don’t know enough to dispute you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should take advantage of it,” Suga says. “You could tell me anything about werewolves and I would just have to believe you! You could claim that werewolves can only digest whatever your favorite food is and I’d have no choice but to buy it for you every day.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I doubt you’d believe me after I’ve spent two weeks chowing down on frozen food,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga throws their head back and laughs. “I’ll try to give you the benefit of the doubt.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Big words coming from someone with a fork full of raw steak,” Asahi says. “Let me at least try to cook that for you. Do you have any spices? Maybe some olive oil?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga answers by throwing open the door to their spice cabinet, which is full of every spice Asahi could possibly need. Asahi flashes a soft smile as they look at the cupboard. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got all this for me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga suddenly feels soft and vulnerable. “Well, you said you were going to cook for me,” they say with a smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi nods. “I did and I’m going to. So the good news is that the steak has already gotten a chance to get down to room temperature. Now I just have to heat up a frying pan to cook it in. Wait, do you have pans?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga opens another door to reveal a selection of pots and pans, still in the box. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You really didn’t have to buy everything in the store,” Asahi protests. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wanted you to have a good selection to cook from,” Suga says, surprised to feel themself courting Asahi’s approval. “Money really isn’t a worry for me, I promise.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi hums out a tentative approval as they bend carefully over to pull open one box and pull out a frying pan. They put it on the stove and let it heat. As it warms up, they look at Suga, then look down at the floor, one hand behind them rubbing their neck. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What is it?” Suga asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Asahi says, “For going to all this trouble for me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga is seized by a sudden urge to hug them. They can’t, of course, with their chest still healing. But more importantly, they can’t get attached. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Please, gods, don’t let them be getting attached. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re very welcome,” Suga says, and grins bright and sharp to hide the softness in their chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The moment breaks, eventually. It has to, or it’ll be too dangerous. Asahi looks at the ground, and Suga goes to throw away the uneaten bite of steak. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I see the rest of that?” Asahi asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Suga hands it to them, their hands brush. An emotion they can’t quite identify flutters in their chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi pulls down the bottle of olive oil and adds a little to their hands, rubbing the steak with the oil. As they deftly season it and put it in the pan, Suga admires how at ease they are in the kitchen. The meat sizzles, and despite Suga’s complete ineptitude with food, they have to admit it smells good. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See, this will be almost raw, but taste so much better,” Asahi says with a confident smile. After a minute or so, they flip the meat, and after another minute, they poke the steak with two fingers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you doing?” Suga asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Testing if it’s done,” Asahi says. “Can I have a plate please?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga hands them a plate from the cupboard. Those, at least, are unpacked, being one of the first purchases Suga made to accommodate their houseguest. Asahi deftly flips the steak onto the plate and holds it out to Suga. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Try this. It’ll be much better, I promise,” Asahi says as Suga takes the plate from them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga cuts off a bite of the steak, looking with pleasure at the cool red of the center, and tentatively pops it into their mouth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The steak hits their tongue in a burst of flavor. It’s close enough to raw to satisfy Suga’s deeper instincts, but the layer of browning on the outside sets off the tastes of it perfectly. Suga isn’t sure how to describe it, the only flavors they’re really familiar with being the thin, coppery distinctions between blood types. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s delicious,” Suga says. “I didn’t know that this is what I was missing.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi blushes. “I didn’t really do much,” they say. “You bought good quality meat.” They take a deep breath, clearly summing up their courage. “So does this mean I can cook for you again?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga smiles. “Sure. I think I’d like to find out more about what I like.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi smiles, and Suga tries to tamp down the swelling in their chest. It’s unsuccessful. </span>
</p>
<p><span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span></p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi picks up his burner phone with a yawn. It’s really too early in the morning to be talking on the phone, but it could be some kind of lead. Or his family checking in with him, which he soundly hoped it wasn’t due to current absence of said leads. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello?” he says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, hello, is this Takahashi-san?” a voice comes from the other end of the line. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi recognizes the name on his police badge and snaps to attention. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It is; are you calling about the suspect?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi had spent days going door to door, giving out instructions to call him if they saw anything suspicious or anyone who matched the sketch he’d shown them. He’d claimed that he was a suspect in a robbery, and that it was essential that he be found. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes it is,” the woman on the other end of the phone says. “I saw someone who looked just like him at this morning’s farmer’s market, so I stepped out and called you immediately. If you hurry you may be able to catch him before he goes home; he just got there a couple of minutes ago.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The farmer’s market? Werewolves went to the farmer’s market? It’s probably a false lead, but just in case, he can’t throw away the potential intelligence. So he gets the farmer’s market off the woman, and makes preparations to set out as quickly as he can. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The farmer’s market was just a handful of blocks away; he makes a note to thank whoever booked his hotel for a central location. He throws on a casual outfit, with two silver knives sheathed safely under his clothes and a gun loaded with silver bullets hidden snugly in his waistband. He throws a loose jacket on over it all to hide the outline of the gun, and starts the walk over. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he gets to the farmer’s market, he wanders around, trying to scope out the patrons without looking suspicious. He sees no one who matches the sketch, and the wolf should have been easy to spot, considering his height. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He buys some snow peas as he’s walking around so as to look more a part of things, anxiety settling deep in his gut that he won’t find the wolf, that he’ll fail and have to go home disgraced. Daichi is looking at eggs when he feels the stones in his back pocket heat up. Wait, stones, plural? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He scrambles to pull the stones out of his pocket and look at them, to figure out which one is heated. The one with fairy wings is cold. The one with a wolf head is hot, of course. And the one with fangs is warm in his hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A vampire. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A werewolf and a vampire. How strange to find them in the same place. Wolves normally could sniff vampires out and avoid them. Unless, perhaps, the wolf was still so badly injured that he couldn’t flee? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi feels bad, momentarily. It was cruel to wound a thing and not kill it, though he knows his family didn’t do it on purpose. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He swivels his head to try to find the wolf. And, if he’s lucky, the vampire. A vamp should be easy to spot in this kind of weather, the sun streaming down and necessitating measures to protect their pale skin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sees the wolf then, tall and strong, arm-in-arm with someone in long, lace-trimmed gloves, a wide-brimmed hat, stylish sunglasses, and a pale grey parasol, and he knows instantly that the wolf's arm is linked with a vampire’s. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He doesn’t understand. The animosity between wolves and vamps is old, bad blood, now ingrained in them from childhood. Wolves in the storage sheds out back of his family’s headquarters would thrash and howl at even being able to smell a vamp, though of course it couldn’t be helped. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He walks over near the two creatures, pretending he’s just looking at the cheese behind them, and tails them as they walk through the farmer’s market. He’s practiced in the art of stealth, and they don’t notice a thing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Asahi, do we need butter?” the vampire asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We already have some, but this would be much better,” the wolf says. “Especially for butter cookies.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Butter cookies?” the vampire says. “You’re catering to my sweet tooth.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You just discovered it,” the werewolf says, nudging the vampire gently with his elbow. “Of course I’m going to cater to it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The easy intimacy between the two of them utterly baffles Daichi. He's never heard of any combination of wolves and vamps turning into anything but a bloodbath. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re too nice,” the vampire says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sugaaaaa,” the wolf protests, burying his face in the vampire’s shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The vampire smiles at him, and the wolf smiles back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi tracks them through the farmer’s market. They buy two head of lettuce, a bundle of radishes, cheese, and eggs. They overall seem like a completely normal couple. But when he really watches, he can see that the wolf is struggling. He watches the way he moves and sees a strain when he lifts his arms, and watches flashes of pain go over his face every time he bends. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let me do the moving around,” the vampire says at one point. “Stop trying to be the big strong one.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am the big strong one,” the wolf says. “Look at me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Were you too delirious to remember all the times I carried you around? I know for a fact you looked conscious.” The vampire grins sharply at the wolf. There’s a flash of fang that no one but Daichi seems to notice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let me have this,” the wolf protests. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will when you’re healed,” the vampire says, and the wolf rolls his eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They continue their banter the whole way home, the vampire taking all the bags despite the wolf’s protests. Daichi tails them from a distance, so he can’t hear them any longer, but the gentle elbowing and soft looks that pass between them are enough of a hint of what’s happening. The wolf doesn’t let the vampire’s arm go, and Daichi wonders if he can’t walk without it or he just doesn’t want to. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A werewolf. In love with a vampire. That is, assuming wolves could love. This was like nothing he’d ever expected. But if he was lucky, it would be an even better payoff for him. If he could follow them, and ultimately ingratiate himself with them, he would be able to take down the wolf’s pack </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> the vampire’s clan. It was a two-for-one special. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They get to a house and go in, the wolf opening the gate for the vampire, and the vampire opening the door for the wolf. Daichi scribbles down their address and walks along the street, trying to look casual. He’ll have to figure out how to work his way into their lives. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He lights upon a house two doors down and grins when he sees the “For Rent” sign. He takes down that address too, and the number on the sign. He recognizes the realtor as one that his family has had dealings with in the past, once ousting a faerie hill that was making a house unsellable. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He goes back to his hotel and calls his family. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello?” his grandfather says. “Daichi? What news do you have?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Only good news,” Daichi says. “I found something better than just a werewolf.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Two werewolves?” his grandfather says gruffly. “Because the point is to find the whole pack, you know.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The werewolf is dating a vampire,” Daichi says. “I can work my way into their lives and find both the pack and the vampire’s clan." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His grandfather hums his approval. “We have a buyer for vampire teeth.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I need to rent a house in their neighborhood,” Daichi says, and gives the address and the realtor’s name. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re certain it was a vampire?” his grandfather says. “You know werewolves don’t traditionally go in for that sort.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi goes down the list of his evidence. “The vampire stone heated up. The vampire was wearing extensive sun protection. And I saw fangs when they smiled.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “If you’re correct, this would be quite a feather in your cap,” his grandfather says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m correct,” Daichi says. “It’s a vampire, and I know for a fact that it’s the werewolf.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll rent you the house,” Daichi’s grandfather says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you. Let me know when I can move in.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And Daichi?” his grandfather says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes sir?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t fuck this up.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks to @vanilla_beanss on Twitter for the incredible art!!!</p>
<p>Thank you to Adri, Kou, and Sin Central!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The first time they see the man is at the farmer’s market. Asahi barely notices him, wouldn’t have noticed him at all if he weren’t exactly Asahi’s type. Besides Suga, and that’s a whole other thought that Asahi isn’t ready to start parsing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi catches him out of the corner of their eye and turns their head to take a good look at him. He’s muscular, with soft-looking hair trimmed short, and big eyes. Asahi’s attention quickly passes as Suga presses farther into their side and giggles, and Asahi has to restrain themself from looking down at them with too much adoration in their eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They’re so stupid, falling for a vampire, and a vampire whose mercy they’re currently completely dependent on, at that. Suga had hinted that they’d want to stay friends, but Asahi doesn’t know if their clan would allow it, and they know that, if it’s anything like their pack, the clan comes first. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their pack. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fuck.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi shakes off the thought as Suga squeezes their arm and points excitedly at a bunch of radishes. They should enjoy what they have right now, enjoy the way Suga’s skin glows in the filtered sunlight, the luminous silver it brings out in their hair. They should focus on the moment. There would be time to mourn later, less publically. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Someone’s renting the house two doors down,” Suga says the next day. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh yeah? Did you meet them?” Asahi asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just saw the For Rent sign gone,” Suga says. “I hope they put up with me and my night gardening.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi shrugs. “You’ve been pretty diurnal lately.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have a guest,” Suga says. “It would be rude not to be considerate of your sleep schedule.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean, I won’t fry if I go out at night. And I’m at least fairly nocturnal around the full,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well by then you’ll be gone,” Suga says. Asahi wonders if the sadness in their voice is real or imagined. “I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable while you’re staying with me, and I don’t need a </span>
  <em>
    <span>lot</span>
  </em>
  <span> of sleep anyhow.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m still convinced you’re lying about that,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga grins and shoots them a wink. “That’s for me to know and you to find out, now, isn’t it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have the worst sleep schedule in Japan,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“In Japan? Are you sure? You haven’t met Tsukishima,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tsukishima?” Asahi asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s in my clan and he just…doesn’t sleep. He was dating a human for a while before he turned him, and for a while there he just kind of cat napped here and there throughout the day and night. He still hasn’t stopped fully.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I would hate that,” Asahi says. “I need my eight hours.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know you do,” Suga says with a smile. “That’s why I wake up during the day. Because you actually value your sleep schedule.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should value yours more!” Asahi protests. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I promise I’m fine,” Suga says. “I’ll go back to night gardening when you’re well,” and this time Asahi is sure that the sorrow in their voice is for real. But Suga pushes past it, smiles brightly, and asks, “Speaking of gardening, you want to?” And Asahi would be a fool to say no. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It’s three days later when there’s a knock on their door. Asahi goes to open it (Suga, for once in their life, is taking a nap), and just barely recognizes the man he saw at the farmer’s market. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi!” the man says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello?” Asahi says, more a question than a greeting. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man holds out a plate of brownies. “My name’s Sawamura Daichi,” he says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Azumane Asahi,” Asahi says. “Nice to meet you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just moved in down the street from you,” the man says. “And I figured I’d introduce myself and bring some baked goods. I made way too many.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga sweeps in then, apparently woken up by the sound of the door, and grins. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you very much!” they say. “Please, come in.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi lets himself be ushered inside the house, and Asahi closes the door behind him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s nice to meet you—” Suga begins. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sawamura-san,” Asahi supplies. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please,” the man says, “I just go by Daichi.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sugawara Koushi, they/them,” Suga says, taking the plate of brownies and sticking out their hand for Daichi to shake. “That’s Asahi, also they/them, but it seems the two of you got started without me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, he/him,” Daichi says. “It’s nice to meet you, Sugawara-san, Azumane-san.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please, just Suga,” Suga says at the same time that Asahi says “Just Asahi is fine.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s nice to meet you, Suga, Asahi,” the man says, and smiles. “I should be going, but feel free to drop by any time.” He walks back to the door and lets himself out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That was…odd,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You think so?” Suga asks. “Seemed like he was just being neighborly to me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s just. He just moved in, but I could swear I recognized him from the farmer’s market the other day.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He was probably staying in the area until he found a place,” Suga rationalizes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hm,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I really don’t get any bad vibes from him,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi shakes their head. “Me neither. Just…weird ones.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Weird how?” Suga cocks their head to one side. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, if I knew, I wouldn’t just have to say ‘weird,’ now would I?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga lays a hand on their shoulder. “Come on, let’s try these brownies. Unless you think they’re poisoned or something?” they say with a teasing smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi rolls their eyes. “I do not think they’re poisoned,” they say. They pull the plastic wrap off the top of the plate and pop one into their mouth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm,” Asahi says, completely deadpan. “This is terrible. You shouldn’t eat it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re just lying so I won’t eat them,” Suga says, and pops one into their mouth. “Oh. Oh gods. You were not lying.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t lie!” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should have acted more horrified so as to spare me from this crime against food.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You think most things are a crime against food,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not your cooking,” Suga says, nudging Asahi’s shoulder with their own. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re biased because it’s the first good cooking you had.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe I’m biased because I like you,” Suga says, and Asahi’s heart stops. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They mean as a friend, right? Maybe even as a roommate. Obviously they can’t mean anything more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not to someone like them. </span>
</p>
<p><span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span></p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe I’m biased because I like you,” Suga says, with a bright, sharp grin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi gets very quiet, all of a sudden, and a look crosses their face that Suga can’t quite identify. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” Suga asks. “Sorry did…I mean…I know I come on too strong.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi shakes his head. “No, I was just thinking about how bad the brownies were.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga raises their eyebrows at them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really,” Asahi says. “I’m fine.” They put a smile on their face that looks patently forced. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I won’t force you,” Suga says. They know something’s wrong, though, that they pushed too far. It feels like somehow they overstayed their welcome in their own home. But the moment passes, and Asahi smiles for real. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You want me to make some actual brownies?” Asahi asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve never had brownies,” Suga says, the smile slowly returning to their own face. “How should I know?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You like chocolate,” Asahi says. “You’ll like these.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga decides it’s time to change the topic far, far away from their desperate, stupid crush on Asahi that obviously makes them deeply uncomfortable. Maybe then it will stop stinging. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shouldn’t you be, like, allergic to chocolate?” Suga asks. “Being part dog and all.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi sputters. “First of all, I’m part wolf.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga throws their head back and laughs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Second of all,” Asahi says, “I’m human </span>
  <em>
    <span>now.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your senses are sharper. Your healing is faster. Maybe your chocolate is allergicker.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think I understand you,” Asahi says, voice light again, and Suga congratulates themself on a job well done. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If I had a yen for every time someone told me that,” Suga says, and then cocks their head, thinking. “Well, I’d have at least ten yen?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s at least ten times; I think you’re developing a pattern,” Asahi says, then turns to dump the brownies in the trash. “I’m going to make you some real brownies, okay?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t have to,” Suga says, voice less loud, less liltingly joyful. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,” Asahi says, and their voice is heavier, somehow. “Maybe I want to.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And something in that tone, thick and loving, makes Suga wonder how Asahi really feels. Suga feels like they’ll never understand if Asahi likes them back or not. But they want to know. Enough that the next day, they decide to prod at their boundaries some more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It’s not a lie, exactly, that Asahi’s hair would be vaguely scandalous to a vampire. But that would only be if it were on a vampire. The night-folk don’t tend to expect other folk to conform to their standards, and Suga had seen plenty of men with flowing hair without getting the itch to braid it. Of course, they want to braid Asahi’s hair, but only because they want an excuse to touch it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They don’t have much of a reason to spend time touching Asahi anymore, with his wound healing well enough that it didn’t need to be packed anymore, only lightly bandaged and treated with antibiotic ointment. It’s torment, to be in the same house as Asahi all the time, and to suddenly not be able to touch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Asahi?” they ask one night, when the firelight glinting off their hair is something they can’t resist. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Suga?” Asahi says, eyebrows flying up expectantly as they wait to hear what comes next. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I…could I…braid your hair?” Suga asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi’s eyebrows go up even farther. “May I ask why?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s just. A little scandalous,” Suga says. “To have it long and not do anything aesthetic with it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What, my two-minute messy bun isn’t aesthetic enough for you?” Asahi says, then blushes. “You should have told me sooner.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It doesn’t apply when you’re sick,” Suga says. “The most important thing was getting you better. But now that you’re up and your hair has switched from beautifully flowing locks…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You want to braid it,” Asahi says. “Sure, I don’t see why not.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi stands and shakes their hair out of its bun, and Suga has to fight the urge to whimper. They lower themself in front of Suga’s chair, so that they’re sitting on the floor and Suga has their hair in easy reach. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This fine?” Asahi asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga nods, before realizing that Asahi can’t see them at this angle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Suga says. “That’s fine.” They didn’t anticipate the guilt that would coil in their gut at tricking Asahi like this. It’s not enough, though, to distract from what’s almost an itch in their fingertips to run them through Asahi’s hair. Then they realize they </span>
  <em>
    <span>can</span>
  </em>
  <span> just reach out and touch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga starts with a gentle stroke through Asahi’s hair. Their fingertips run through easily, like running through water. They run their fingers through the rest of it, piece by piece, and something hot and fierce burns up in their chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Feels nice,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi hums affirmatively, happily. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m glad,” Suga says. “Tell me if anything I do hurts, yeah?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not going to hurt me,” Asahi says, and the absolute faith in their voice would bring Suga to their knees were they not already seated. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga gathers up a section of hair at the top of their hair, splits it in half, and grabs a smaller third strand next to it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m going to give you a fishtail french braid,” Suga says, all but ignoring Asahi’s statement because they can’t afford to unpack it right now, can’t afford to ruin the moment when everything’s golden and warm in the glow of the fire. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds good?” Asahi says. “I’ve never actually braided my hair. I braided Yachi’s back when it was really long, though. But never anything fancy like that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yachi?” Suga asks, not meaning to pry but prying nonetheless. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Never mind,” Asahi says. “I don’t want to talk about it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They go quiet, suddenly, and Suga wonders who Yachi is. If she was an ex-lover or even a current one, if they ever had any chance. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>#####</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We should probably take that guy’s plate back,” Asahi says one day as they’re washing dishes. It almost hurts how domestic the scene is. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga, standing at the ready to dry and put away anything that is washed, nods. “You mean Daichi’s? He has a name, you know.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I forgot it,” Asahi admits bashfully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was thinking when we took it back, we could invite him over for game night,” Suga says. “It’s polite, I think, and he seemed nice enough? Bringing over terrible baked goods for the new neighbors—who does that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Daichi, apparently.” Asahi washes off Daichi’s plate and hands it off to Suga. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga accepts the plate and dries it off before setting it on the counter. “We could play, I dunno, Monopoly or something.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought we were trying to thank him, not make him want to murder us,” Asahi says, and Suga hits them with the drying towel. “Ow, hey!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Talk shit, get hit,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do vampires play video games?” Asahi asks. “Or, do </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> play video games?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have played many a video game,” Suga says. “I game. I’m a gamer.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi raises their eyebrows. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have played Pokemon and Mario Kart,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi laughs. “That sounds a little more like the truth.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga swats them again with the towel. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I changed my mind,” Asahi says. “We shouldn’t invite Daichi over. He doesn’t deserve to have to deal with you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga fixes them with a death glare, then waggles their eyebrows to show they’re just teasing. “We’re inviting him over.” </span>
</p>
<p><span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span></p>
<p>
  <span>A knock sounds through Daichi’s small house. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Be right there,” he calls as he scrambles to throw on pants. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In a moment, he opens the door to find the wolf. Oh, things were going so well for him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Asahi!” he says, the bright grin on his face genuine. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I came to bring your plate back,” Asahi says, “As well as, on Suga’s and my behalf, invite you to a game night at our house tomorrow at seven. If you’re not doing anything else and want to come.” The wolf looks stiff, a little out of his element, but is wearing a friendly, if somewhat forced, smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was being invited into their home already? This was a million times better than he’d ever dreamed of. Get invited into their home, gain their trust, eventually get led straight to the pack and the clan. Step one, complete. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That would be great!” Daichi says, his smile a touch more genuine than Asahi’s, though for all the wrong reasons. He takes the place from Asahi, their hands brushing as he does. “Thanks for bringing this back. You’re the first person to.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was, of course, because the wolf and the vampire were the only person Daichi had delivered brownies to, but Asahi didn’t have to know that. Small talk was good, would ingratiate him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re welcome,” Asahi says, and their face shifts to a smaller smile, something that looks a little more real. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course Asahi was the wary one, after what they’d been through. Of course it would take a bit for them to trust Daichi. That was okay, though. He was willing to wait. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The next day, Daichi showers and changes into his favorite outfit, a deep green t-shirt with a brown leather jacket and dark, tight jeans. He looks himself up and down in the mirror. The wolf and vampire might be together, but if he’d read them correctly, they both seemed either interested or at least very queer. Seduction might be an option. He puts on his city kit, minus the gun which would be too hard to hide. If he was found out, it would be a nightmare for him, and the gun would likely not be enough for him to protect himself. He tucks a small taser gun in his jacket’s largest pocket and takes a deep breath, looking at himself in the mirror to make sure no weapons are evident. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He walks over to the monsters’ house and knocks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Daichi!” Suga says, opening the door with a bright smile. Though his lips were barely open, Daichi can still detect the hint of fangs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Suga! Nice to see you again.” Daichi grins. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>genuinely glad to see Suga again, though not in the way that they were thinking. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Undercover was awkward for Daichi, what with him lacking good acting skills, but there was something about the vampire and wolf that made a compelling enough combination that he was able to act truly excited around them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nice to see you too!” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Same here,” the wolf says, walking up behind the vampire with an awkward cadence. “Though I just saw you yesterday.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Never too much of neighbors,” Suga says, nudging the wolf in the side, and then steadying them when they stagger a little. “Asahi, I’m sorry,” they say. “I shouldn’t have—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” Asahi cuts them off. “I’m just a little off today.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi wonders if the wolf is weak because of their injuries, or because the vampire had been drinking from them earlier. How close had they gotten? How far into a relationship did blood drinking happen, anyway? It wasn’t like he’d been given a textbook on vampire relationships, and even if he had, it would have been only vampire/vampire combinations, not this freak show.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve made dinner, if you haven’t eaten?” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I haven’t,” Daichi says. “I’d love dinner.” Was the vampire going to eat as well?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were, it turns out, gleefully slurping down udon with the rest of them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Asahi, this is wonderful,” Daichi says through a mouthful of noodles. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Asahi says, ducking their head to try to hide the flush on their cheeks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s great,” Suga says. “You should make this more often.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You say that about all my dishes,” Asahi says. “If you had your way, I’d be making five meals a day.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A foodie vampire. As if this day couldn’t get any weirder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi finishes his meal, with the monsters bickering amicably as they finish their own. He feels like an outsider to their dynamic, which is good, right? He shouldn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be on joking terms with beasts. It’s just. In this moment, with the wolf baring a shit-eating grin as the vampire jabs them low in the ribs for making a particularly impertinent comment, they seem so </span>
  <em>
    <span>human.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi shakes his head, almost imperceptibly. Of course they do. That’s how they hide among humans, how they prey on humans. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Daichi?” the vampire says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes?” Daichi says, breaking free of his train of thought. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What were you thinking about?” Asahi asks. “Suga tried to get your attention twice.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, sorry,” Daichi says, face flushing. “I didn’t mean to ignore you—I was just thinking about the unpacking I have left to do.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, Suga and I can come help with that sometime if you want,” Asahi says. They turn to Suga. “If you’re okay with being voluntold like that.” The wolf turns back to Daichi. “I won’t be much help; I’m recovering from an injury. But Suga is strong and can be useful.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi knows exactly what injury that is. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, absolutely!” Suga says with a smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, it’s all right,” Daichi says. “It’s just the little fiddly bits left now. Nothing that you’d know where to put.” He can’t actually let them in his house to find out that he’s living on the bare minimum, though perhaps the couple would chalk it up to him being a bachelor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay,” Asahi says. “If you’re sure.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As I was originally saying,” Suga says. “We should get down to some Mario Kart.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Confession,” Daichi says. “I’ve never actually played Mario Kart.” He’d been too busy learning to hunt to have much time for video games as a child. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here, let’s adjourn to the couch,” Asahi says, “And Suga and I can teach you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They boot up the console and run Daichi through the controls. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So this one’s the brake?” Daichi asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Brakes? Where we’re going, you don’t need brakes,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Daichi, that’s the brake,” Asahi says, then turns to the vampire and pointedly rolls their eyes at their antics. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But honestly, unless you’re at risk of falling off, you should probably just go full steam ahead,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They select their racers—Daichi somewhat predictably choosing Mario, Suga choosing Rosalina, and Asahi choosing Toad—and Suga, as player one, flips through the different races. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How about…” they say, hovering over a race. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi laughs. “We’re not starting the poor man on Rainbow Road!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s Rainbow Road?” Daichi asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It takes me about 10 minutes to get through,” Asahi says. “You’re literally always at risk of falling off.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you kidding me?” Suga says. “I can smoke it in like 3.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not all of us have your reflexes,” Asahi says, smiling. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi is again reminded that these friendly, obviously in love “people” are monsters, that Suga could drain him in an instant if he wasn’t prepared. Maybe even if he was. He feels a shiver of fear run down his back and settle in his gut. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How about we give him a break?” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mushroom Cup it is,” Suga says, selecting it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They race, until Daichi runs into a box and is instantly confused about what’s happening to his screen. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, what’s this thing?” Daichi asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, lucky! That’s a blue shell. It takes out whoever’s in the lead.” Asahi coughs dramatically. “Suga.” And coughs again. “You just gotta press—yeah you got it!” Asahi cheers as Suga is crashed into and spun around, leaving enough of an opening while they get their bearings for Asahi to zoom past. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You guys just blue shelled me?” Suga says. “That’s it, out of my house, the both of you.” They make a shooing motion and realize belatedly that they turned their kart as they moved. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can’t kick me out,” Asahi says. “Where would I go?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s between you and your god,” Suga says. “No mutinies in my home.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You probably could kick me out,” Daichi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nobody’s kicking anybody out,” Asahi says, just as Suga overtakes them. “Aw, shit.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine, you can stay,” Suga says, zipping in front of Asahi. “But only because I’m winning.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga wins the first three races, but Asahi pulls out a surprise victory in Toad’s Factory. Daichi is, all four times, solidly last. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They run through the Flower Cup next, with Asahi struggling through Wario’s Gold Mine and Daichi managing to fall constantly. Suga wins all four races. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They play the Mushroom Cup again next. In the middle of Mushroom Gorge, Daichi gets a Bullet Bill and zips to the front. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The wolf and vampire cheer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look at you!” Asahi says, purposefully holding back so as not to pass him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry,” Suga says, passing him anyway. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am bad at Mario Kart,” Daichi says after three more cups, looking at the results screen, where he is, once again, dead last. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not bad at it,” Asahi says. “You just need practice.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should come by and play again soon. When are you free?” Suga asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi pulls out his phone and makes a show of flipping through his empty calendar. “I could be free day after tomorrow?” he says. “If that’s not too soon.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga looks at Asahi. “Do we have plans?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think we have plans,” Asahi says. “It’s been a lot of fun.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It has,” Daichi says. He stands, and so do the monsters. He reaches out to shake each of their hands in turn, feeling Suga’s sharp nails brush against his skin and breaking out in goosebumps. Asahi’s hand is large and rough, and he can imagine them in their bestial form, with huge, calloused paw pads. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was nice to get to hang out with you two,” Daichi says. “And I appreciate you opening your home to me; I know a lot of couples prefer to be friends with couples.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We, uh,” Asahi starts, stuttering through the beginning of a sentence that never comes to fruition. “It was good to hang out with you also.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga smiles, but there’s something awkward in it. “See you again soon!” they say, voice still bubbly as ever. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See you,” Daichi says as he walks to the door. “Thank you for dinner!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The wolf and vampire follow him, with the vampire opening the door for him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re welcome!” Asahi says, now back on solid footing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See you soon,” Suga says, and Daichi feels a squeezing feeling in his chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’ll have to stamp that softness out. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks again to Kou, Adri, Sin Central, and my lovely artist, @vanilla_beanss on Twitter!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Couple.” The word rings in Asahi’s brain as they usher Daichi out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It’s awkward, for a minute. They can’t look Suga in the eye, wondering how obvious their stupid, pitiful crush must have been for Daichi to pick up on it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga looks anywhere but at Asahi. Their gaze darts around and finally settles on the TV that’s still on. Suga goes to turn it off, then sits down in their favorite chair. Asahi inhales deeply, decides to take a chance, and settles down in front of them. They need to be near Suga right now, at least to know that Suga doesn’t hate them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you doing?” Suga asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My braid is coming out,” Asahi says. “I know it’s supposed to look good messy, but this is too messy. You must be scandalized.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga slowly begins to untwist the braid, hands carding gently through Asahi’s hair, fingers scratching at their scalp. This was good. Nobody had to look anyone in the eyes. Just gentle, stolen touches that Asahi had a good excuse for. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why do you think he said that?” Asahi says, finally giving voice to what they’d been thinking. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga sighs, shakes their head. They seem to know exactly what Asahi is talking about. “I’m sorry, Asahi. It’s my fault.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your…fault?” Asahi says. “It’s not like you told him we were dating.” They pause for a minute. “Did you? I mean, it would be easier to explain why I live here that way. Though I do wish you’d have let me—” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“No!” Suga says, loudly enough that Asahi flinches. “No,” they say again, quieter. “It’s because I’m so obviously into you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi freezes. “Into…me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry. I could…I can put you up at a hotel until you feel better and can get a job. I understand if you don’t want to be around me now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Suga—” Asahi says, trying to cut them off but being cut off themself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, I know. It’s creepy to fall for someone who’s living with you, who literally can’t support themself without your help and—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Suga!” Asahi says. “I’m an adult. I could have taken care of myself once I could walk again. Sure, I couldn’t work construction any more, but I could have gotten another job, something where I made phone calls. But I didn’t. I didn’t leave you, because—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You shouldn’t have to work yet,” Suga cuts in. “It’s not fair to you, after experiencing all that. I’ll make some calls, get you put up somewhere until you’re completely healthy.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Koushi!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Asahi says, startling even themself with the intensity of their voice. “Listen to me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It’s Suga’s turn to freeze, the use of their given name pinning them to the chair as surely as a stake through the heart.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Koushi,” Asahi says, getting up on their knees and turning to face Suga. “I don’t want to go.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you talking about?” Suga’s face is a mixture of confusion and shock. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tell me if you don’t want this,” Asahi says, reaching up a hand, cupping Suga’s face and tracing their soft lips with their thumb. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want this,” Suga says. “But you don’t. You don’t have to feel obligated to—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi surges up from their knees, gripping the arms of the chair to keep them stabilized, and crashes their lips into Suga’s. It’s all teeth and tongue, messy wrestling to take control of the kiss as they find their stride. Asahi can feel Suga holding back. They pull back, leaning their foreheads together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t have to tell me what I want,” Asahi says. “I know what I want. And it’s you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t you have a girlfriend?” Suga asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi laughs. “Do I look like I would have a girlfriend?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean, you’re very attractive,” Suga begins. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“First of all, no I’m not. Second, I’m very, very gay,” Asahi finishes with a laugh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” Suga says. “I mean, you are very—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you going to keep coming up with reasons not to kiss me? Or are you going to kiss me like you mean it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>#####</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They talk about it, in the aftermath, legs tangling as they lie in bed together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You really thought I wasn’t going to like you?” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got so quiet when I dropped hints!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because I was trying not to believe you liked me,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why on earth would you do that?” Suga asks, dropping a kiss on Asahi’s nose. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You deserve so much better than me. You’re a rich, beautiful vampire—can I call you beautiful?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can call me anything you want,” Suga says. “Beautiful, pretty, handsome, whatever. But more importantly, have you seen yourself? Do you know yourself? So determined, so resilient. So full of love, even after everything that’s happened to you. Are you telling me I’m not supposed to fall for you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean…” Asahi says. “I’m not all that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga kisses their lips gently, in sharp contrast to the kisses before, all fangs and too-sharp canines. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are,” Suga says. “You are, you are, you are. And I’ll say it every day if you need to hear it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They kiss Asahi again, gently licking at the place on their lip where a fang had snagged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did I do that to you?” Suga asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’ll heal in a moment,” Asahi says. They’re silent for a moment. “I don’t think I care what you do to me, at this point. I trust you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Suga asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can bite me,” Asahi says. “If you ever need it.” They think for another moment. “What do I taste like, anyway?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga opens their mouth, a grin on their face, and Asahi slaps a hand over it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I meant my blood, and you know it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga laughs, then quiets as they think. “It doesn’t taste like normal blood,” they finally say. “You know the smell of ozone? The prickling feeling you get on your skin when lightning’s about to strike, close?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What, do you go storm chasing?” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean, when nothing can kill you…” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aren’t you highly flammable?” Asahi reaches for their hand and squeezes it. “No more reckless behavior now that you’ve got someone to come home to.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No more,” Suga says.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi pauses. “That is, presuming you want to come home to me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course I do,” Suga says. “I care so much about you. You’re my—partner? Can I say partner?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi feels their face split into a grin. “I like that,” they say. “Partners.” </span>
</p>
<p><span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span></p>
<p>
  <span>The days pass as they settle into easy intimacy, the kind they’d shared before but tinged with something new and soft and moondrunk. In the nights, they sleep long and deep, with Suga’s arms wrapped firmly around Asahi’s healing body. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The evenings are for gardening, or for Suga to sit admiring their partner’s competence as they made their way around the kitchen. Or to put Asahi’s hair into more and more complicated braids, or to laugh hysterically with Daichi as Suga loses Monopoly as dramatically as possible. More and more, really, the evenings belong to Daichi. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re telling me you have three houses on Park Place?” Suga says. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>must</span>
  </em>
  <span> be cheating.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not my fault you can’t pay your rent,” Daichi protests. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll have me auction my last property? I’ll be homeless! Destitute!” Suga cries. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They pull a wad of cash from their pocket and shove it at Daichi. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is…this is real money,” Daichi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Legal tender, for </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> debts public and private.” Suga grins like they’ve just come up with the best idea of their life. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think Monopoly counts,” Daichi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga rolls their eyes. “Spoilsport.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There are easier ways to get to be my sugar daddy,” Daichi says, just as Asahi takes a sip of their soda. Asahi chokes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What, Asahi? Like they’re not yours already?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>mean!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Asahi protests, ending on a squeak. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Naah, I’m their sugar daddy,” Suga says, wrapping a possessive arm around their shoulder and punctuating the statement with a kiss to the temple. “But hey, there’s enough of me to go around.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Does that mean I get to make out with them too?” Daichi says, pointing to Asahi. ”Or just you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi chokes again, face flaming. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s for me to know and you to find out, sweet thing,” Suga says, and winks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not a piece of meat!” Asahi finally finds the words to protest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I like you for your brains too,” Suga says, patting them on the shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now put the money back,” Daichi says, “And let’s play Monopoly.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga looks down and sees Asahi trying to slip them a few bills under the table. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey,” Daichi says, his eyes somehow quicker than Suga’s split-second grab of the cash. “No helping them!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But they’re losing so badly,” Asahi says. “I have enough money that I can help a little!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And they kicked our asses at Mario Kart, and Cards Against Humanity, and don’t even get me </span>
  <em>
    <span>started</span>
  </em>
  <span> on Bananagrams…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sucks to suck,” Suga says. “Asahi offered me the money of their own free will.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s no way you’re going to survive the round, even with their help,” Daichi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can at least give them a chance,” Asahi protests. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi rolls his eyes dramatically. “Okay then. But they aren’t going to make it through the round.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aww, now you’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> sugar daddy,” Suga says, grabbing Asahi’s lapels, which, to be fair, are a lot more expensive than those of the flannels they would buy themself, and kissing them soundly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m right here?” Daichi protests, but there’s no real intent behind it, except a strained sort of something that Suga can’t quite put their finger on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Two turns later, Suga lands on Free Parking. They win the game, with them cackling and Daichi protesting the whole time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>#####</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Takeda-san?” Suga picks up the ringing phone and answers it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s good to hear your voice, Sugawara…” Takeda’s voice comes through the phone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“-chan today, please.” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sugawara-chan. It’s been a while. I was worried about you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Suga says. “I was busy taking care of the wolf, and then—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The wolf is gone, right?” Takeda says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gone?” Suga asks. “It’s still three days to the full.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know the closer it gets to the full moon, the less they can control themselves. And werewolves are born to hate vampires. You could get hurt, or have to hurt him.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga rolls their eyes, knowing Takeda can’t see them, but unease settles deep into their stomach. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I understand. I can’t have Asahi here over the full moon.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Or after,” Takeda says. “It’s not a ‘put him up in a hotel and wait for the full to be over’ kind of situation. You have to send him back to his pack, and pray that they don’t come after us.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I understand,” Suga says. “He’s well enough; he’s actually planning on leaving today.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See that he does,” Takeda says. “Or we’ll have to take action to remove him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>#####</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s time to plant,” Asahi says. “If you’re serious about actually trying to eat this garden, that is.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s something satisfying, I think, about eating something you grew yourself. Or there will be.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi smiles and wraps an arm around Suga’s waist. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s something even better, I think, about eating something we grew together.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga grins. “I can’t wait to find out.” They take Asahi’s hand and pull them out to the garden. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Koushi!” Asahi says, startled, as they’re dragged along by slender hands. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on, Asahi! Let’s stop talking about it and actually garden!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There are seedlings lined up in the garden that Asahi had bought earlier that day. Tomato, lettuce, lavender, basil, rosemary, sage, and mint. Their radish seeds were already in the ground as of a week and a half ago, being a little sturdier than the rest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga picks up a plant and quickly drops it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shit,” they say. “That burns like hell.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Burns?” Asahi says. “They’re not supposed to burn.” They cautiously poke the seedling. It does nothing to them, so they pick it up and look at the label. “Sage.” Asahi hums. “I’m an idiot.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga flicks their ear. “You are not, but go on.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s used in cleansings,” Asahi says. “I’m pretty sure you being a creature of the night and all…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s plant some wolfsbane and mistletoe too, why don’t we?” Suga says, lightly bumping Asahi’s shoulder with their own. “In all seriousness, you couldn’t have expected this. It’s not well-known.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t know it,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t,” Suga says. “To be fair, few of us are ever in a situation to encounter it. Still, I’ll have to tell Takeda-san. He should know of a potential weakness.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I feel stupid,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t feel stupid,” Suga says. “Just gather it all up and throw it out.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I only got two,” Asahi says. “I’ll take them to the trash can.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga taps their lips as Asahi stands, and Asahi obliges them with a quick kiss. Suga listens as they go to throw the plants away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everything okay?” Daichi’s voice says, just after Suga hears the trash can lid creak open. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“These seedlings are bug-eaten,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I heard yelling,” Daichi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There was a spider,” Asahi says, and Suga can hear the smugness in their voice at getting one over on Suga. “Koushi’s not a huge fan.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga will have to bug them later about that, considering the last time they saw a spider, Suga had been the one to take it outside as Asahi cowered in the other room. To be fair, the spider had been large. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tell Daichi to come help plant!” Suga yells from the backyard. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They can hear us?” Daichi hisses in a whisper, which Suga can, of course, still hear. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They have very good ears,” Asahi says back, voice a little lower but not quite a whisper. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There’s the sound of footsteps coming up the back path and then the two of them are in the garden with Suga. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Suga!” Daichi says, greeting him brightly. “What are we planting?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga looks down the line of seedlings. “Tomatoes, rosemary, basil, lavender…Oh! Lettuce and mint!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’d better be putting mint in a pot or something, or it’ll destroy the rest of your plants.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s the plan,” Asahi says, pointing to a pot with a bag of potting soil behind it. “But I want to be able to make my own mojitos.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A—” and here Daichi pauses, “A person after my own heart.” There’s a strange silence after that, and Daichi looks almost confused. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” Asahi asks. “If it’s the gender thing—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not the gender thing,” Daichi says. “I was just…thinking about something my family told me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Was it any good?” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi thinks for a moment longer. “You know? No,” he says. “I don’t think it was.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>#####</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you think Daichi will be here soon?” Suga asks as they wait in the foyer, all dolled up in sun protection gear, parasol swinging by their side. “We’re going to be late for the farmer’s market. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi kisses them on the nose. “I’m sure he will be. Besides, can you be late for a farmer’s market?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re going to miss all the good spinach!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi muffles a laugh. “All spinach is good spinach, my dear.” They stop and cock their head for a moment. “Well, unless it’s creamed.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know what that is and I don’t want to find out,” Suga says. “I just want Daichi to get here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ve all been spending a lot of time together lately,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I guess so,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Does that mean anything to you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi shrugs. “It’s nice to have friends. Or, friend, singular. Since your clan isn’t exactly going to approve of me and—oh, shit. Your clan. How’re they going to take the news when they find out that I’m still living here? Am I going to have to leave?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I lied to my clan,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You lied to them?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I told them you’d left. I…I don’t know what to do. I can’t lose you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not them,” Asahi says. “You’ve had them for so much longer.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And they’re being bigoted idiots towards you!” Suga says. They sigh. “We could move, so I’m not under their jurisdiction.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t ask you to do that.” Asahi ducks their head. “I don’t want to be any trouble.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga thwacks them on the hipbone, well below their injury. “You didn’t ask me to do anything. I think you’ll find I did it of my own free will.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you’d have to leave everything. Your clan…it’s here. It has been for how long?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hundreds of years,” Suga says. “Since it splintered off from one in Tokyo.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can’t leave your family on my account,” Asahi says. Their voice falls. “At least you have one.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga cocks their head at Asahi. “What’s that supposed to mean?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I lost my pack.” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can’t you call them?” Suga asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t,” Asahi says. “I don’t think anyone’s left.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have you called to check?” Suga asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My phone broke.” Asahi’s breath begins to speed up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga swears. “Stupid,” they continue.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please, no,” Asahi says, starting to cry. “I’m sorry. I know I’m stupid but—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga cuts them off. “You’re anything but. I was talking to myself, sweetheart,” they say, but Asahi looks too far gone to hear it. “Sweetheart?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There’s no answer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Asahi? Listen to me,” Suga says. “Baby, please.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My pack,” Asahi sobs. “I left them. They’re gone. They wouldn’t be if I’d just stayed and fought.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You would have died,” Suga says. “Baby, I’m sure your pack isn’t gone.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t know! I’ve been too much of a coward to call them and find out!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m the stupid one, okay?” Suga says. “I didn’t even think to get you a cell phone.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What good would it do if I’m too scared to call?” Asahi says. They sink to the ground and curl in on themself, arms wrapped around their knees as they rock back and forth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There’s a sturdy, familiar knock at the door, and Asahi startles. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sssssh, love,” Suga says. “It’s only Daichi.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He can’t see me like this,” Asahi says, choking on a sob. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He won’t care,” Suga says. “And if he does, I’ll eat him.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can’t eat him,” Asahi says. “He’s nice. You should eat me. I’m a failure.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Asahi? Suga?” Daichi calls through the door. “Are you there?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll go tell him not to come,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p><span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span></p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi stands on Suga and Asahi’s doorstep, fighting a multitude of feelings. When did this stop being something he did to keep track of them? When did it start being because he wanted to hang out with them? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That’s how they get you, he reminds himself. They lure you in with a facade of humanity, with sharp teeth lying underneath. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But he’d seen Suga’s teeth, and they didn’t frighten him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He raises his hand and knocks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can’t come in,” Suga says, opening the door just a crack. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t? What’s going on? Is—Asahi!” Daichi hears the sound of sobbing, and sees Asahi curled up on the floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I said you can’t come in right now,” Suga says, but Daichi ignores it as he slips through the door and runs over to Asahi. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s going on? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did Suga hurt you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga huffs behind him. “I would never,” they say. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They would never,” Asahi says, voice hazy. “I just…panic attack.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you have medicine?” Daichi asks. “Can I get you anything?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They had medicine,” Suga says, “But they were,” they stop for a moment, seemingly considering their word choice. “They were homeless for a bit before we started living together. And they lost their meds.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi knows exactly what really happened, and for a moment he hates his aunts and uncles with a burning fury. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’re they upset about?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My family,” Asahi says, between sobs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They lost track of them when they were homeless, and there was a…disaster in their hometown.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re dead,” Asahi chokes out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi hates his aunts and uncles for longer than a moment, realizing that they would have gleefully wiped out Asahi’s entire pack if they’d gotten half the chance. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sweetheart, I’m sure they’re not dead,” Suga says, sinking down and wrapping their arms around Asahi as they sob. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re not dead,” Daichi says, with an amount of conviction in his voice that he realizes too late is a mistake. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How can you know?” Asahi asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi scrambles for some kind of answer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think that they all would have died. There has to be someone left. You can’t know until you call them, and they have to be so worried about you,” Daichi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s nobody left to worry.” Asahi curls in on themself even tighter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi crouches down too, and lays a hand on Asahi’s knee. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There is too,” Daichi says. “I promise you, if you call, someone will answer.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> Asahi looks at him askance for a moment, but it passes, and they bury their head in their arms again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Asahi, listen to me,” Suga says. “You need to call them.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just…give me a moment. I can’t deal with this right now, I can’t, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Suga, do you have any Benadryl?” Daichi asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s in the kitchen, why?” Suga asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I used to be in training to do search and rescue field medicine”—lies, nothing but lies, and every word he says feels like a nail in the coffin of what fragile thing was blossoming between the two of them, because someday they’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>know.—</span>
  </em>
  <span>“And they said that if you didn’t have anything to treat shock, Benadryl would help in a pinch.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d actually heard that from a particularly anxious cousin who his family didn’t allow therapy, who just took a half dose of Benadryl before missions to get through missions. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi wonders, now, if his cousin had been in the same place he was now, struggling with the personhood of these—it feels wrong to call them creatures while Asahi is here, sobbing, feeling something so intensely human. These people. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll be right back,” Suga says, zipping off to the kitchen, not thinking to curtail their speed quite so much as they probably should have. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I miss them,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi misses his family too. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wonders if, if he makes the choice he thinks he has to, he’ll ever be able to go home. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Asahi,” Daichi says quietly, and wonders if he can pack a lifetime of training to kill them, a lifetime of support as people like them were killed, into that apology.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga comes back with the Benadryl and a glass of water. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hold out your hand?” Suga says quietly to Asahi, and puts two into the proffered hand. “Here, water,” Suga says next, offering it as Asahi pops the pills into his mouth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’ll take a little while to take effect,” Daichi says. “But it ought to help. If it doesn’t put them to sleep.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not gonna lie,” Asahi says. “Sleep sounds pretty good right now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You can also use Benadryl on anxious dogs. The thought flits through Daichi’s head and he smacks it away. This wasn’t a dog, nor just a wolf, curled up in front of him. This was a person. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was going to have to leave Japan at this rate, if he went against everything his family stood for. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga and Asahi should probably leave too, just to be safe. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They could go togeth—no. No, he wasn’t even going to let himself think that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi’s breathing starts to slow, little by little, and the Benadryl shouldn’t really be working yet but the placebo effect is a hell of a drug. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You want to call them?” Suga asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi shakes their head. “I can’t yet. Not…Just let me get in control of this. Let me prepare myself to hear who’s dead.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi wants to say “nobody,” to tell Asahi that his entire pack is alive and well, but that’s information he can’t afford to give away without losing them forever. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And he’s not sure he can stand to do that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He reaches out and touches Asahi’s face. “You don’t have to do it now,” he says. Asahi doesn’t pull away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I miss them,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, love,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think…” Asahi sighs. “I want to go to bed.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll meet you there in just a moment, okay?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga ushers Daichi the few feet to the door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know I told you not to be here but, well, thank you for being here,” they say, and pull Daichi into a tight hug. Daichi’s heart stops. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, no.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks as always to Adri, Kou, Sin Central, and my incredible artist, @vanilla_beanss on Twitter!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You’re calling your pack,” Suga says when Asahi wakes, holding out their cell phone. “We can go get you your own phone literally right after this, but first, you’re calling them.” </p><p>“I only remember one number,” Asahi says, picking at the corners of their nails. </p><p>“Then call that one. I’m sorry I let it get so bad. I should have realized sooner, but I was so clueless about anything that wasn’t falling for you.” </p><p>“It’s not your—” </p><p>Suga cuts them off. “I should have paid more attention. I should have been better to you, and I should have thought of it. I’m sorry.” </p><p>“Koushi, there’s nothing to forgive.” </p><p>“If you’re sure…” Suga says, pushing the phone towards Asahi more insistently. “But you’re not getting out of this one.” </p><p>Asahi takes the phone. “Would you mind waiting in the other room?” They know it won’t give them any real privacy if Suga chooses to listen, but it feels right to have a little distance between the old life and the new. </p><p>They take the phone and Suga pecks them on the lips. Asahi grabs Suga’s cardigan and pulls them in for a longer kiss, though it remains chaste. </p><p>“Thank you,” Asahi says. </p><p>“Anytime, darling,” Suga says, and walks out of the room. </p><p>With Suga gone, it’s just Asahi in the bedroom, still a bit drowsy, still more than a bit terrified. They take a deep breath and call the only number that they still remember. </p><p>“Who is this?” a voice says on the other side of the line. Not the voice they’d expected. </p><p>“Tanaka? You’re alive?” Asahi asks, recognizing him immediately. Their heart thrills in their chest and then abruptly stops. “Why are you answering Nishinoya’s phone? Is he—” </p><p>“Asahi?” Tanaka says. “You’re alive?”</p><p>“Um, barely for a moment there. But I got…well, it’s a long story.” </p><p>“Why the hell didn’t you call?” Tanaka says, or rather yells, the phone speaker crackling with overload. </p><p>“I thought you were all dead!” Asahi says. “Where’s Noya? Did we lose him?” </p><p>“Taking a nap,” Tanaka says. “Asahi, no one’s dead.” </p><p>“I thought—” Asahi begins. </p><p>“You thought wrong,” Tanaka says, cutting them off, voice remarkably gentle for him. “We’re all here.” </p><p>Asahi hears a familiar voice off in the distance. </p><p>“Babe, what’s going on?” </p><p>“It’s Asahi,” Tanaka says. </p><p>Asahi sniffles, and realizes suddenly that he’s crying. </p><p>“Nishinoya!” Asahi calls. “Tanaka, I’m so glad you’re alive, thank you for taking care of Nishinoya for me, <em> please </em> give him the phone I want to talk to him.” </p><p>“Asahi!!!!!” Noya says, loud enough for the phone speaker to give feedback. “I thought you were dead! You idiot! Why didn’t you call!” </p><p>“I got hurt,” Asahi says. “Real bad.” </p><p>Noya’s voice immediately takes a hairpin turn towards compassionate. “Are you okay? How are you doing?” </p><p>“I’m all right now,” Asahi says. “I, uh, got taken in by a vampire.” </p><p>“What did he do to you?” Noya asks. </p><p>“Nothing! Nothing at all,” Asahi says. “Well, uh, some things, but… Also they’re a they.” </p><p>“Are you sure they’re not just waiting until they get a chance to drink your blood? What do you mean by ‘some things’?” </p><p>“Good things. Taking care of me, nursing me back to health…<em> kissing-me-and-falling-for-me-and-Nishinoya-I-think-I’m-in-love-with-a-vampire. </em>” </p><p>“You’re in what with a what now?” Tanaka screams, a few feet away from the phone. Asahi can imagine them, Tanaka sitting on Noya’s bed while Noya stands and fidgets. They hear Noya’s footfalls as he talks to them, and know that he’s pacing. </p><p>“Asahi, you fell in love with a vampire?” Nishinoya repeats. “You’re not under their Thrall, are you?” </p><p>“Of course not,” Asahi says, offended on Suga’s behalf at the mere idea that that would happen. </p><p>“What’s your favorite color?” Noya asks. </p><p>“Orange, and dark blue,” Asahi says. </p><p>“What’s your favorite food?” </p><p>“Steak, medium-rare.” Asahi says. “Nishinoya, I don’t think—” </p><p>“What did you give me for my seventeenth birthday?” Noya asks. </p><p>“A pair of Bluetooth headphones, and a field knife with your name engraved on the handle,” Asahi responds. </p><p>“Why?” Noya says. </p><p>“Because your old headphones broke, and you never remember to dress your kills and bring them home, and we could really use the venison. But Nishinoya, I don’t think that Thralls work like that?” </p><p>Noya huffs. “Well you sound like yourself to me,” he says. “Asahi, I have to see you.” </p><p>“I want to see them too!” Tanaka calls. </p><p>“We all want to see you. We’ve all been so worried.” </p><p>Asahi exhales. They’re not sure if they’re allowed to do this, but Suga keeps telling them to say what they want so they can give it to them. “Come over,” Asahi says. “All of you, come over, tonight.” They give him their address.</p><p>“You know it’s the full, right?” Noya asks. </p><p>“I need to see you all. Just get here before dark, and we’ll curtain all the windows. I wasn’t planning on shifting tonight anyway. Maybe Hinata will, because he has no self-control, but he’s just a big puppy and shouldn’t cause any trouble.” </p><p>“Where do we sleep?” Noya asks. </p><p>“We can put out the spare futons in the guest room. Between that and the couch you should be good; I know we’ve all slept rougher.” </p><p>“They can come!” Suga yells in from the other room. “I’m not listening, but they can come!” </p><p>“There you go. Koushi says you can come,” Asahi says. “You’re all good.” </p><p>“I’ll go get everyone,” Noya says. “Tanaka, you get Hinata and Yachi. I’m going to go convince Ukai.” </p><p>“You really think Ukai will be cool with us all walking into a vampire den?” Tanaka asks. </p><p>“It’s Asahi,” Noya says. “If nothing else, we need to go rescue them.” </p><p>“I don’t need rescuing,” Asahi protests. “Koushi has been nothing but wonderful to me.” </p><p>“Look at it from Ukai’s eyes. Think about how worried he must be for you,” Noya says. “And now you say you’re shacked up with a fucking vampire!” </p><p>“Okay, but if you burst in with your teeth bared, I reserve the right to kick you out,” Asahi says. </p><p>“I need to go get Ukai,” Noya says. “Asahi, you get ready.” </p><p>“See you soon,” Asahi says. </p><p>“Love you,” Noya says. </p><p>Asahi smiles. “Love you too.” The phone clicks. Noya has hung up. </p><p>“Koushi?” Asahi calls, standing from where they’d been sitting on the bed. </p><p>“Asahi?” Suga says, opening the door, coming in, and wrapping their arms around them. </p><p>“They’re all alive,” Asahi says, tears still running down their cheeks. “My whole family. All of them.” </p><p>Suga smiles, lifts Asahi up, and spins them around. “I told you, darling!” </p><p>“They’re coming over tonight,” Asahi says. “But you heard that.” </p><p>“I didn’t mean to!” Suga protests. “You would’ve heard it too.” They put Asahi down and kiss them on the nose. “I’ll batten down the hatches so no one can see the moon.” </p><p>“You’re amazing,” Asahi says. </p><p>“And Asahi?” Suga says. </p><p>“Yeah?” </p><p>“I love you too.” </p><p>― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― </p><p>Suga finishes the last of the windows just as the first knock on the door sounds. Asahi bolts to the door, and the first to come in is a boy with flaming red hair. Suga wonders how old he is. </p><p>“Asahi!” he screams, and Suga sees Asahi brace himself as the boy starts running towards him. </p><p>“Maybe don’t—” Suga starts to say, but they’re cut off by the boy launching himself into Asahi’s arms. Asahi staggers back, but doesn’t fall. Suga thanks the gods for that. </p><p>A girl comes in behind him. She looks about the same age, with part of her blonde hair swept into a ponytail off to one side, and the rest worn down. </p><p>“Hinata!” Yachi says. “Don’t overwhelm them!” </p><p>“Yachiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii,” Hinata whines. “Look, they still caught me anyway!” </p><p>“Yachi may be right,” Asahi admits. “I’m still healing from some injuries I got after you ran away.” </p><p>Hinata, still in Asahi’s arms, ducks his head. “I’m sorry,” he says. “I shouldn’t have jumped. I shouldn’t have run.” </p><p>Asahi turns him, putting one arm under each of his arms, so that he’s dangling there in their grasp. “No. Your job was to make sure you and Yachi are safe. Or, <em> is. </em>” They shake Hinata gently and then turn to Yachi. “Yours too, young lady.” </p><p>“She’s only two years younger than you,” Hinata says. </p><p>“Sucks to be the baby of the family, doesn’t it?” Asahi says with a laugh. This is a side of them that Suga hasn’t seen yet, and they’re definitely in love with it. </p><p>‘Still, sorry,” Hinata says, hanging his head. </p><p>“Don’t get all pouty on me now, Hinata.” Asahi smiles. “This is a time for happiness. Now I want you to meet my partner.” </p><p>“I can’t believe you’re dating a vampire!” Hinata says as Asahi puts him down. </p><p>“Are you sure it’s safe?” Yachi asks. </p><p>“Koushi? They wouldn’t hurt a fly. Well, that’s a lie; I’ve seen them swat flies. But they certainly wouldn’t harm anything <em> really </em> alive.” </p><p>“Asahi, did you just say that flies aren’t really alive?” Suga says, stifling a snort as they walked up to him. </p><p>“Maybe so,” Asahi says, face lighting up impossibly further. “Koushi, this is Yachi and Hinata,” they say, gesturing to the blonde and then the redhead. “Yachi and Hinata, this is Sugawara Koushi.” </p><p>“Suga, please,” Suga says. </p><p>Yachi starts to bow, but Suga laughs. </p><p>“I’m sorry; did I do it wrong?” Yachi says. </p><p>“No, it’s just… I don’t really stand on ceremony here.”</p><p>Asahi gasps suddenly. </p><p>“What is it?” </p><p>“You don’t care how my hair looks, do you!” </p><p>“I, um, no?” Suga says, before remembering. “All right, so maybe I wanted an excuse to be close to you.” </p><p>Asahi laughs. “We were pitiful.”</p><p>Suga hears someone else coming up to the door, and heads to open it. “So you’re the son of a bitch who has my kid in their Thrall,” a man says. He has bleached blonde hair, pulled back in a headband, and piercings all up his ears. If it were a better time, Suga would wonder how piercings work with a high healing factor. But now the man is getting up in his face. </p><p>“Let them go,” the man says. </p><p>“Ukai-san!” Asahi says, and now it’s Asahi’s turn to run at someone for a hug. As they collide, Ukai lets out a small <em> oof </em>. Asahi squeezes him tight. </p><p>“Gentle, gentle! You were just injured!” Ukai insists. </p><p>“I’m sorry,” a voice that Suga recognizes as Noya says as Noya himself comes through the door. “I couldn’t convince him.” </p><p>“Azumane Asahi! I take care of you for how long, feed you, bandage your skinned knees, teach you through the first shift, and you don’t know any better than to not get under a vampire’s Thrall?” </p><p>“I”m not under a Thrall,” Asahi says, voice coming out distorted as Ukai grabs them by the collar and hauls them down, squeezing their cheeks together to look deep into their eyes. </p><p>Ukai lets go of their face. “I’ll give you this, you don’t seem to be under a Thrall.” </p><p>“I did say that,” Asahi says. </p><p>“But I had to check your pupils to be sure,” Ukai says. “I’m not fucking around with you, Asahi. I know you’re an adult, but you’re still my kid.” </p><p>“I know,” Asahi says, and nuzzles him, cheek to cheek. </p><p>“Now let me check for bite marks before I go yell at Nishinoya for sending our pups into a vampire den.” </p><p>“I’m not a kid anymore!” Hinata protests. </p><p>“I am but I’m safe with Hinata!” Yachi says.</p><p>“Sir,” Suga says, causing Ukai to turn to them. “I’m sorry for causing you any worry. My name is Sugawara Koushi, but I go by Suga.” </p><p>“Koushi, don’t worry,” Asahi says. “I’ve got everything under control, I swear.” </p><p>“I know you do, but I need to at least introduce myself,” Suga says. They turn back to Ukai. “I promise I’ve been taking very good care of Asahi. Asahi came to me severely wounded from the hunters.” </p><p>Ukai frowns. “I did see that. They seem to be doing a lot better, but have you been drinking a little blood on the side?” </p><p>“I love them,” Suga says. “I would never hurt them.” </p><p>“I’m still looking for bite marks,” Ukai says. “Asahi, shirt off.” </p><p>Asahi turns bright red. “I’m not going to do that. There’s kids here!” </p><p>“Not a kid!” Hinata chimes in. “I wanna see a nasty scar!” </p><p>“Hinata,” Noya hisses. “Shush, and then maybe we’ll get to look at it.” </p><p>“Lots of prurient curiosity around here today,” Suga says, but smiles at the two boys. </p><p>Asahi groans. “Fine, but someone take Yachi into the other room.” </p><p>Suga steps towards her, and Ukai holds out an arm. “<em> Not </em> you, vampire.” </p><p>“Hinata?” Asahi asks. </p><p>“Aww,” Hinata says. “I wanted to see a scar.” </p><p>Just as Asahi pulls his shirt off, another boy walks through the door, and promptly pulls off his own. </p><p>“Is this that kind of party?” the boy whose voice Suga recognizes as Tanaka says. Then, “Whoa. I didn’t…That’s a hell of a scar.” </p><p>Asahi hangs their head. “I know.” </p><p>“No, no, it looks cool!” Tanaka says. </p><p>“Yeah, it looks badass,” Noya says. </p><p>“I wanna see,” Hinata protests through the door. </p><p>Ukai sucks in his breath when he runs his fingers over the scar. “I wish I’d been able to protect you from that,” he says. </p><p>“No beating yourself up,” Asahi says, somewhat glumly. “It’s a party.” </p><p>“I don’t see any—wait, what’s that?” Ukai says, pointing at Asahi’s torso. </p><p>Asahi turns beet red and hangs their head even farther as Noya and Tanaka break out into hoots and hollers. </p><p>“Good on you, Asahi!” Noya cheers. </p><p>“Finally got some!” Tanaka yells. </p><p>“What <em> is </em> it?” Hinata calls in from the other room. </p><p>“Our Asahi got themself a hickey!” Noya says blithely. </p><p>“Please don’t,” Asahi protests ineffectually. </p><p>“Are you being safe?” Ukai asks. “You remember the talk I gave you—and you know with a vampire, you’re just tempting fate by—” </p><p>“I know! I know, I know,” Asahi says, finally standing up and putting their shirt back on. “Everything is fine, I’m making food, can someone get Yachi to help?” </p><p>“I’ll help, Asahi!” Noya bounces next to them. </p><p>“Yeah, we’ll help!” </p><p>“Yachi is the only one of you all I trust,” Asahi says as Yachi comes into the room. “Now, hugs all around, and then I’m going to go cook and you are going to entertain yourselves ‘till I’m done.” </p><p>“I’m pretty sure that’s our Asahi,” Tanaka says to Ukai.</p><p>Ukai sighs, long and deep. “I still hate this, but I think you’re right.” He turns to Suga. “Thank you,” he says. “For taking care of my kid.” </p><p>“You’re very welcome,” Suga says. The two exchange cautious smiles. </p><p>They stand there awkwardly for what feels like an eternity but is probably about thirty seconds, until Suga feels their phone buzz in their pocket, and pull it out to see a text from Takeda. </p><p>“Call me immediately,” it reads. </p><p>“I need everyone to be absolutely <em> silent </em>,” Suga says. They want to go to the back garden, but realize that they might let the moonlight in. So they head to their bedroom to make the call. </p><p>He picks up on the first ring. </p><p>“Hello? Takeda-san?” </p><p>“Sugawara…?” Takeda’s voice says on the phone. </p><p>“Chan,” Suga says. "What’s going on?” </p><p>“Tsukishima-kun was walking by your house and saw two new cars out front? Ones we don’t recognize? Is everything all right” </p><p>“They must be from across the street,” Suga says. “There’s not the best parking in this neighborhood, you know.” </p><p>As Suga says that, there’s a crash in the other room. </p><p>“What was that? What happened?” Takeda asks. </p><p>“I, uh, tripped,” Suga says. </p><p>“Is someone there with you? You did send the wolf home, right?”</p><p>“<em> No! </em> I mean yes!” Suga protests, but knows it’s a losing battle. “Yes, he’s home.” </p><p>“Fine,” Takeda says. “But we have our eyes on you. Don’t blow this, Sugawara-chan.” </p><p>Suga returns to the party, Ukai still looking at him with wary eyes. </p><p>“Sorry,” they say. “Just got a phone call from my clan leader.” </p><p>“Telling them your house is full of werewolves?” Ukai says. </p><p>Asahi whimpers quietly. Suga is surprised at how they’re communicating more animalistically, and wonders if it’s being with other werewolves, or nerves, or the full moon. </p><p>“I heard what you said,” Ukai says,  a moment later. “And you didn’t rat us out. Unless that was code.” </p><p>Suga finally notices Hinata in the corner, with a crop of orange fluff sprouting from his cheeks and hands. Half-transformed, he’s even more of a gangly teenager, all awkward limbs and hair, and it’s all Suga can do not to squeeze his adorable face. </p><p>“I didn’t mean to do it!” he says. “It’s just, everything’s all <em> wah! </em> because Asahi’s okay and it’s the full moon! And when I get all <em> pow! </em> inside I can’t help it!” </p><p>“I’ll calm him down,” Yachi says, and sets down the paring knife she’s been holding. “It’s okay, Asahi, you can keep cooking.” </p><p>Suga watches as Yachi gathers Hinata into the guest room and talks to him quietly, and the fur begins to slowly recede. They’re paying enough attention to the awkward situation in their living room that they don’t notice footsteps on their sidewalk, until they’re surprised by a knock at the door. </p><p>“Asahi, are there more?” </p><p>Asahi shakes their head. “Everyone’s all here.”</p><p>“Fuck. Shit. Everyone! Into the guest bedroom!” Suga hisses, shooing them all that way. “And be silent.” </p><p>“What’s happening?” Ukai asks. </p><p>“My clan,” Suga says. “They’re here.” </p><p>“You betrayed us,” Ukai says. </p><p>“They didn’t betray us,” Asahi says, finally raising their voice. “Now go to the back bedroom and we’ll try to keep the peace!” </p><p>“Where is everyone?” Takeda says once Suga opens the door. The entire clan is standing on the waiting mat.</p><p>“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Suga says. </p><p>“The wolves,” Takeda says. </p><p>“I can smell them,” Tsukishima says. “It’s hard to miss on their cars. They reek like wet dog.” </p><p>Suga sighs. “If you hurt anyone in my home, I’ll have you know—” </p><p>“Sugawara-chan!” Takeda says, clearly horrified. “I would never!” </p><p>Ukai steps out of the back room once the door closes, and Suga all but facepalms.</p><p>“Stay away from my kids,” he says. “We’re a small pack; we’ll be gone at daylight. Taking Asahi with us.” </p><p>“You can’t take them!” Suga protests. </p><p>“This is our territory, and you know that,” Takeda says. “I expect you to honor that. Leave now.” </p><p>“You’d put us in that kind of danger?” Ukai protests. </p><p>“Asahi isn’t going anywhere!” Suga protests. Asahi steps outside of the bedroom. </p><p>“Please,” they say, going straight to Suga’s side. “We’ll leave. Hell, we’ll go with the pack, if they’ll have us.” </p><p>“We’re not taking a vampire,” Ukai protests. </p><p>“Then we’ll go somewhere else,” Suga says. </p><p>“Sugawara-chan, you are not leaving!” Takeda says. </p><p>Suga frowns at them both. “Maybe I am.” </p><p> </p><p>― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― </p><p>“I’m telling them tomorrow,” Daichi mutters. It’s a hard decision, but if he says it out loud, it feels more real. He checks his passport in his bag; he’ll have to leave Japan for sure. It’s there, and he sheds a few tears as he thinks of leaving everything behind. </p><p>“I’m telling them tomorrow,” Daichi repeats, “And they’re not going to come with me. They’re going to hate me, and they damn well should. <em> Fuck. </em>” </p><p>Daichi’s phone rings as he’s halfway through his not-a-pep-talk. </p><p>“Daichi?” his grandfather says on the other end. </p><p>“Grandfather, it’s good to hear from you.” </p><p>“I don’t know if you’re soft or just stupid, but we’ve kept surveillance now that you’ve found him. We set up a camera across the street from the creatures’ house, and the wolf’s entire pack just came into the house, along with the vampire’s clan. You’ve failed, Daichi.” </p><p>“But I found them! I was just—how was I supposed to know?” </p><p>“Surveillance! You should have thought of it too! Get your kit on and meet us in the back garden in half an hour. Goodbye, Daichi.” </p><p>“Goodbye, sir.” Daichi says. </p><p>He throws his kit on faster than he ever has in his life and sprints over to Suga and Asahi’s place. </p><p>He feels like he’s walking into a massacre, but reminds himself that it’s going to be one if he doesn’t get over there soon enough. </p><p>“Suga! Asahi!” he yells, pounding on the door. “Let me in!” </p><p>Nothing happens. </p><p>“Please,” he says. “It’s an emergency!” </p><p>“Daichi!” Suga says, opening the door. “This is a terrible time; what’s going on?” </p><p>Asahi comes to stand behind Suga. In the room behind them, he sees werewolves and vampires doing a wary dance around each other, the vampires flashing hints of fang and the werewolves outright baring their teeth. Though still in human form, Asahi’s pack looks scruffy around the edges, especially one redheaded boy. </p><p>“I told you to leave,” the oldest vampire says. </p><p>“And I said that we’ll leave after the full,” says the wolf who Daichi recognizes from the file as being named Ukai. </p><p>“Then I’m taking Sugawara-chan away.” </p><p>“I’m not going anywhere!” Suga yells. “Daichi, I’m sorry, please. What’s happening?” </p><p>“Will you all shut up and stop fighting!” Daichi says. “Hunters are coming!”</p><p>“Daichi?” Asahi says, and everyone is for a moment completely silent to let them speak. “Daichi, how do you know?” </p><p>Daichi takes a deep breath. </p><p>“Because I am one.” </p><p>The room explodes into chaos, with Ukai running for the windows, scrabbling at the fastenings with sharpening nails as he tries to open them and let the moonlight stream in. </p><p>“Daichi! What the <em> fuck </em> is happening?” </p><p>“I”m sorry,” Daichi says. “I can’t…I couldn’t… I was raised like this. I was supposed to find you, Asahi. But I was going to tell you to run tomorrow, I swear. This is my first mission. I can’t let you die.” </p><p>“You’ve just about sealed our fate,” Suga says, face grim as they look at Daichi, not even trying to hide their fangs. “Are you proud of yourself?” </p><p>“There’s no time for talking,” Daichi says. “Please, we have to prepare to fight. There’s twenty minutes left!” </p><p>“We can’t run?” the leader of the vampires asks. </p><p>Daichi shakes his head. “They’ll have snipers out, probably already.”</p><p>“We’ll talk later,” Suga says. “And you will pay for everything your family has done to him.” </p><p>Asahi is worse, somehow, than Suga. They seem so small, curled in on themself, sobbing. </p><p>“There are <em> children </em> here, Daichi.” </p><p>“I—I know. That’s why I’m here to help.” </p><p>“You gonna fight your family, big guy?” Ukai says, walking up to him, more transformed than not, looming over Daichi as his limbs elongate. “You gonna play the hero?” </p><p>“I don’t want to play anything,” Daichi says, and touches his gun at his hip. “I want to fight. I want to save them.” </p><p>“You better be sure of your side, Daichi,” Suga says. “Or you’ll wish you had been.” </p><p>Ukai howls, and the wolves circle around him. </p><p>“Battle positions,” he says. “Hinata, you and Yachi hole up in the guest room.” </p><p>“I want to fight,” protests a boy Daichi recognizes as Hinata. </p><p>“I want to, too,” Yachi says. </p><p>“I’ll have your back,” says a woman on the other side of the room. A vampire. She steps forward. “I’ll look after her,” she says to the pack leader, “I swear.” </p><p>“Shimizu-chan, are you—” the clan leader says. </p><p>“I’m sure,” she says. “I’ll look after them both. We can’t be enemies in this.” </p><p>“Kiyoko is a fierce fighter,” Suga says. “If she says she’ll protect the pups, the pups will be protected.” </p><p>Now that whatever line there was between vampire and werewolf is broken, the clan and pack intersperse. Ukai and the clan leader, who Daichi quickly picks up is named Takeda, walk the lines and give tips and tactics. They barricade every door they can and set guards on each of the windows. </p><p>“Daichi,” Takeda finally says. “If you’re with us, and you had best be with us, come here. It’s time to fight.” </p><p>There’s a few long breaths, a few gasps for air as Daichi realizes that Suga and Asahi will never speak to him again after this. He watches as they open the curtains wide and moonlight streams in, the wolves bristling and baring their teeth at whatever threat may come, then close the windows to prevent sniper attacks. </p><p>He watches as Takeda and Ukai clasp hands, as they turn back to back and prepare for whatever may come. </p><p>He watches as the first window breaks, and his family comes streaming in. </p><p>Daichi stands between them and their quarry and screams.</p><p>“Stop!” he shouts. “Please, you can’t kill them.”</p><p>“Why shouldn’t we?” says a man with a gauntlet that Asahi knows all too well. “Daichi-kun, you’ve gone soft!”</p><p>“Because I love them!” Daichi yells.</p><p>His family erupts into laughter.</p><p>“He looooooves them,” one cousin says. </p><p>“Daichi,” his grandfather says, making his way to the front of the group pointing a knife at him. “You need to be very sure of the side you’ve chosen. We can write this off as a mistake, and you can come home.”</p><p>“Everyone needs to stop,” Daichi says.</p><p>“We’re fighting to protect people, Daichi,” his grandfather says. He doesn’t put the knife down.</p><p>“I <em> am </em>protecting people,” Daichi says. “Are you?” And then he lunges. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks as always to my awesome artist, @vanilla_beanss on Twitter, as well as Adri, Kou, and Sin Central.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Everything is hazy through rage and the guise of the wolf. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They hear Daichi talking, hear the word “love,” hear the derisive laughter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They need to protect, to fight, so when Daichi lunges they take their opportunity. They barely resist the urge to howl as they run forward into the fray. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The knives are silver, Asahi learns quickly as they’re nicked by one. They yelp in surprise but push through the pain, twisting upward to bite the hand holding the knife. The hunter swears and drops it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They hear a clamor around them, the sounds of vampires drinking deep. Not deep enough to kill, Asahi hopes, but enough to incapacitate. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Through it all, Asahi focuses on Suga, watching out for threats. Out of the corner of their eye, they see a stake aimed at Suga’s heart, and propel themself towards it, springing on strong back legs. Suga darts behind them as they grab the stake, it splintering in the grasp of their teeth, and take a clawed swipe at the hunter’s face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The hunters all blend together. They all smell the same, almost. Daichi is the only human who smells different, and Asahi isn’t sure if it’s because he’s been away from his family for so long, or because Asahi simply knows his scent by heart. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga twists and grabs the wrist of a man behind Asahi, drinking deep from the artery in his wrist. He tries to punch with his other hand, but drops to the ground heavily. Another one down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi tries to aim away from any vital organs, or if he did, at least not to kill. They bite and bite and bite, at anyone who dares get close to them or Suga. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They look over to Hinata and Yachi, making sure they’re safe. Shimizu moves like a blur in front of them, picking off hunter after hunter who dared to go for the easy targets. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The battlefield suddenly comes to a quiet as they hear a scream. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Daichi!” a woman cries. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the midst of the chaos, Daichi has been hurt, and hurt badly. Asahi knows instinctively that he’ll bleed out if something isn’t done.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” the woman repeats, chanting it like a prayer that will keep him from dying. “I didn’t mean to—I was just trying to parry.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’s cut deep, deeper than Asahi had been. His blood is all over the carpet, and Asahi only knows one solution. He pushes the woman out of the way, and Suga picks her up and drags her far, far away from Daichi, hissing as they do. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’d turn him into a monster?” the woman screams. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi takes Daichi’s bicep in his mouth and bites down just hard enough to break skin. The moonlight streams in through the broken window, but Daichi is hurt too badly to transform. Nothing happens. He coughs wetly, blood bubbling up from between his lips. That’s the last breath Asahi hears from him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi curls around him, guarding him from any further harm, but knows it’s a lost cause. Still, they can’t let anything happen to Daichi, not after he gave his life for them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Behind them, they suddenly hear a shuddering breath. Daichi. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi howls in joy and goes over to him, nuzzling his face. Daichi is still unconscious, but Asahi is satisfied that he’s breathing, that his blood is circulating. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They look up to find that the hunters are all on the ground now, whether too low on blood to continue fighting, or bitten or slashed by a werewolf. Some of the bodies on the floor are beginning to transform into new wolves. It’s strange, because the only werewolves Asahi has encountered before are pack, and they don’t smell like pack. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Daichi!” the woman is still screaming, even as she’s crumpled to the floor. Takeda walks up behind her and rips a strip of fabric off the bottom of his cardigan, gagging her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is Daichi alive?” the oldest man says. He has a wolf bite deep into his shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Daichi is in bad shape,” Suga says. “I hope you’re happy.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t mean for this to happen,” the man says. “I—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he’s speaking, he begins to transform. Only halfway, as the wound in his shoulder is deep, but it’s enough to shake him badly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the fuck?” the man says as his body begins to change. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re a werewolf now,” Suga says. “That’s what you get for fighting werewolves.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I—I can’t go on like this,” the man says. “I’m supposed to protect people from the likes of you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then don’t go on,” Suga says, and turns away. Asahi picks up one of the man’s arms in his teeth and drags him towards the guest room. The wolves and vampires are working together to lay the injured hunters out on the futons. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga, however, lifts Daichi up easily and into the bed in his bedroom. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I still hate you,” Suga says to his unconscious form. It’s not convincing, as Suga smooths a gentle hand over his face. They get out the first aid kit and begin to clean his wounds. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ukai comes over to Asahi once all the hunters are piled onto futons. A vampire closes the curtains, and Ukai easily slides from wolf to man. Asahi takes a little longer, but they’ve mastered shifting more than the younger wolves. The wound on their forearm stings badly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do we have a first aid kit?” Ukai asks, looking at their arm. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll go get one from Koushi,” Asahi says. They walk into the bedroom and look at Daichi. He’s laid out and bleeding on the sheets, his head lolling to one side, but his breaths are strong and steady. Suga has out the supplies for packing and bandaging his wounds, and their fingers move deftly from weeks of practice with Asahi’s. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi smells like pack, and Asahi isn’t sure what to do with that knowledge. He smells like </span>
  <em>
    <span>Asahi, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and like Suga, and like himself, tinged with something lupine. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, darling,” Suga says. “How’re you holding up? Are you hurt?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi holds up their forearm. “Not much.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Asahi,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Suga says. “Is that silver?” The wound is burnt around the edges where the silver had singed their skin, and it at least has served to cauterize it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ukai-san is taking care of it,” Aashi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good,” Suga says. “You need the kit, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ukai wants it, if that’s okay? What about you?” Asahi says. “Are </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> hurt?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, of course,” Suga says. “I got nicked on the wrist, but it’s already closed. Regular knife.” They shrug. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Show me?” Asahi asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And sure enough, when Suga holds out their wrist, Asahi only sees an angry pink scar. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m glad you’re safe,” Asahi says, and leans down and kisses them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga smiles into the kiss. “Asahi,” they say as they pull back. “We took down, like, thirty monster hunters.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I recognize a lot of these guys.” Asahi says. “I think we’re safe now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Safe,” Suga says. “We’re going to be okay.” They pull Asahi down for another kiss, this one a little longer and deeper than the chaste first. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you two are done making out in there!” Ukai calls. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, sorry!” Asahi says. Their face flames. “Coming with the kit!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ukai cleans and bandages Asahi’s wrist swiftly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should probably call our doctor if this doesn’t heal in a week,” he says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll keep an eye on it,” Asahi says. “Thank you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is anyone else hurt?” Ukai calls. “I’m trained in first aid.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The wolves begin to fall in line. Surprisingly, the vampires too. Hinata and Yachi are, blessedly, not part of the lineup, but Shimizu is bleeding over her heart where she barely missed being staked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you for protecting them,” Ukai says quietly as he cleans and bandages the puncture wound. It will heal soon, and vampires can’t get infections, but it’s the principle of the thing. Taking care of their allies. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I can help,” Takeda says. “I’ve been around for a while. I’ve done more than my share of first aid.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure it’s not going to be from the 1800s, old man?” Ukai asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Takeda laughs. “I’ll try to avoid getting the leeches.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Ukai and Takeda clean and bandage wounds, Asahi goes through the line and triages the wounded. When they’re finally finished, Ukai calls them over. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Asahi, this was the worst idea you’ve ever had,” Ukai says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Noya steps between them, still in wolf form, and whimpers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not finished,” Ukai says, gently pushing Noya out of the way. “You put us in danger, almost started a war with a vampire clan, and nearly got us all killed by hunters. But also? We took down an enormous family of monster hunters. And the pack is finally safe.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m…sorry?” Asahi says, not entirely sure how to respond. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You take good care of that vampire of yours,” Ukai says. “I’ll trust anyone I can fight beside.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He turns to Takeda and smiles.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m going to go check on Daichi,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t say I like it,” Ukai says. “But…he did fight for us.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi breathes out, long and slow. “Yeah.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s your responsibility,” Ukai says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll take care of him,” Asahi says. “I swear.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you love him?” Ukai asks bluntly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Asahi says. “But I think I could.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should figure that out,” Ukai says. “But you’ve got time.” His eyes dart over to Takeda again. “Now shoo. I have to negotiate territory arrangements.” Takeda is smiling as he walks over, and Asahi wonders if they’re seeing the beginning of a new age. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span></p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m still angry at you,” Suga says when Daichi’s eyes finally, finally blink open. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kou, can’t this wait till a better time?” Asahi asks. “He almost died for us.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Which he wouldn’t have had to do if he hadn’t sicced hunters on us!” Suga insists. “Tell me how to get the hunters out of my house.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga is cranky in general, and properly angry at Daichi. They’d all had to sleep on the living room floor that night, dragging out Suga’s stash of spare blankets and pillows, as the injured hunters slumbered in the relative comfort of being piled up in the guest room. It had been easier on the wolves, who could shift back or stay shifted and sleep comfortably. Suga had at least been able to use Asahi as a pillow, but it still wasn’t the most comfortable. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I…Suga?” Daichi says as he wakes up. “Asahi?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How do I get the hunters out of my house?” Suga repeats. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My family is alive? </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m </span>
  </em>
  <span>alive?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re not monsters; we’re not going to kill them all,” Suga says, their voice coming out snippier than they intended. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I couldn’t have blamed you if you did,” Daichi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Half of them are werewolves now,” Asahi says. They sigh. “So are you. I’m sorry. It was the only way.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi reaches tentatively over to touch the bite mark on his bicep, wincing as he does so. He’s been stabbed deeply in the abdomen, and it must be painful to move at all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You bit me?” Daichi asks. There’s no malice in his voice, but a hint of fear and wonderment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You were going to die,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We thought you were dead, you idiot,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Daichi says. “Um, about my family, I would just…” He trails off. “Maybe just haul them to my house?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We can’t carry out bodies,” Suga says. “That would cause some suspicion.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And that’s the last thing we need,” Asahi says. “There was enough noise coming from the house last night that I’m surprised no one called the police. We’ll already have people filing out, covered in blood.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you take their weapons?” Daichi asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everyone was stripped to check for and treat wounds, and their clothes were shaken out. You guys carry a lot of silver,” Suga says, narrowing their eyes at Daichi. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can have my weapons,” Daichi says. “I’ll tell you where everything is.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I frisked you while you were sleeping,” Suga says. “Unless you’ve shoved a gun where the sun don’t shine, I think we’ll be safe.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You aren’t in any danger from me,” Daichi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But we were,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,” Daichi says, and Suga sees him start to tear up. “I’m sorry. I’ll say I’m sorry for the rest of my life if you’ll let me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga sighs. “Well, you’ll be saying it at least for the next month while your spleen knits back together.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re taking care of me?” Daichi asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can’t go to a hospital now,” Asahi says. “You’re a werewolf. They wouldn’t understand your healing. If they found out we existed, they’d hunt us for sport.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like your family,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Daichi says. “I thought…I really thought I was doing the right thing. They told me I was protecting people.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re people too,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know that now!” Daichi says, obviously distressed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Koushi,” Asahi says, laying a hand on their shoulder. “Maybe this isn’t the best time.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hope you feel better,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi smiles at him softly. “Welcome to the pack.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They end up waking and ushering the hunters one by one, guarded by the wolves, to Daichi’s house. Some of them lean on the wolves’s shoulders, complaining about needing help the whole time. The vampires guard whoever’s remaining. Suga figures they can stay at Daichi’s until they’re well enough to leave. Daichi tells Suga where his first aid kit is, and Suga leaves it out prominently. The new wolves should all be healthy soon enough to help the others limp out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“None of them will want to go to the hospital,” Daichi assures them when they come in to check on him. He’s been sleeping, it looks like. His hair is stuck down to one side of his head, and he looks faintly ridiculous and unfairly handsome for a traitor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’s going to have a scar, Suga thinks. Even with his new accelerated healing, there’s only so much it can do. Suga’s not sure how he feels about it, Daichi wearing the mark of a turncoat for the rest of his life.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They know what they’re doing is very illegal,” Daichi says. “They know how to take care of themselves. I have cousins who are actual paramedics. They’ll help once they all get home.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will they stop, after this?” Suga asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Half of them are werewolves. My </span>
  <em>
    <span>grandfather</span>
  </em>
  <span> is a werewolf. They’re going to have to do some real deep thinking.” Daichi sighs, his head lolling back against the pillow, coughs, and winces. “Sorry to interrupt, but I don’t feel so good.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga nods. It’s brisk, matter-of-fact. “I could Thrall you to sleep?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please,” Daichi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga stares into his eyes, and isn’t sure what they feel. They brush it aside. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You will fall into a deep and dreamless sleep,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi begins to snooze. Suga turns to Asahi. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are we doing?” they ask. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi shrugs. “Taking care of what’s ours now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s not ours,” Suga says. “He betrayed us.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He betrayed his family </span>
  <em>
    <span>for</span>
  </em>
  <span> us,” Asahi corrects. “I don’t think…I don’t think he knew any better, Koushi. And then when he learned, he changed.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He could have gotten us killed.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m angry too, but he could have gotten himself killed too. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Did</span>
  </em>
  <span> get killed, just about.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m confused. Asahi, I don’t know what to do with him.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They step out of the bedroom and walk into the living room, settling down on the couch next to each other. Suga buries their face in Asahi’s side, and Asahi wraps their arms around them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He loves us,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What does that mean to you?” Asahi asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I…I don’t know.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You care about him,” Asahi says. It doesn’t seem like it’s meant to be an accusation, but it feels like one nonetheless. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do,” Suga says. The words stick in their throat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me too,” Asahi says. “What does that mean for us?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Before all this stupid shit happened,” Suga says, and sighs deeply. “I was thinking…maybe he liked us. Maybe we could try something new, if things kept going like they were. Maybe it would just all fall together.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And then it all just fell,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Suga lifts their head, looking Asahi in the eyes. “I like him, Asahi. I don’t know if I love him, but I wanted to try. I really, really did.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will this stop you?” Asahi asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Suga says. “I don’t know.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For days, there’s nothing they can do about it. Daichi sleeps the sleep of the near-dead, and Asahi is wont to wake him, saying he needs time for his organs to heal. The pallor takes five days to pass. The slumber takes three days more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once Daichi wakes for longer than a few minutes, once he stops relying so much on Suga’s Thrall to wipe away the pain, then Suga and Asahi go into the bedroom, ready to talk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you mean what you said?” Suga asks, opening with the blunt question that will answer everything for the three of them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I said a lot of things,” Daichi says. “Most of them stupid, not as many of them lies as you think.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You said you loved us,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I meant that,” Daichi says. “But I understand if after this, you never want to see me again.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want to see you again,” Asahi says, settling on the bed to one side of him and reaching out to take his hand. “I want to see you all the time. It’s reckless and stupid and ridiculous how much I want to see you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” Daichi says. His voice is inscrutable. “Um, Suga?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Koushi,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kou—</span>
  <em>
    <span>oh. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Is this?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I like you,” Suga says. “I shouldn’t, but I do, and I don’t think I’m going to stop anytime soon.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you?” Daichi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just shut up and let me kiss you,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So he does. </span>
</p>
<p><span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span> <span>―</span></p>
<p>
  <span>It’s three weeks later, and Daichi is still in love. Daichi is so much more in love, for someone who thinks he deserves none of this. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Asahi?” Daichi calls into the kitchen. “How long are you going to be?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hot cocoa is a masterpiece that takes time,” Asahi calls in. “Plus I almost put the blood in the food microwave.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Blood goes in the blood microwave!” Daichi protests. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t see a problem with it,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well that’s because you’re a creature of the night,” Daichi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re a creature of the something,” Suga says, ever so gently nudging him with their elbow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Creature of the couch!” Daichi decrees. “Who doesn’t want blood in his food.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s a good thing Asahi turned you before I did,” Suga says. “You’re too damn prissy.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I could make a good vampire!” Daichi protests. “Asahi, tell them I’d make a good vampire.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’d make a horrible vampire,” Asahi says. “You make a good wolf, though.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m still really sorry that it came down to—” Daichi begins. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will come in there and I will hit you with my ladle,” Asahi says.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga dissolves into giggles. “They’re learning!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You two are ganging up on me, is what’s happening,” Daichi says, stifling a laugh. The laughter hurts, and he winces. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Daichi, are you sure you’re okay?” Suga asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daichi straightens up a little, still frowning. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Asahi, can you get him more ibuprofen while you’re in there?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” Daichi protests, voice pinched. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is this your martyr complex again?” Suga asks. “Daichi, you already died for us once. You don’t have to keep doing it for the rest of your life.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi comes in holding a steaming mug of hot cocoa and three ibuprofen, giving both to Daichi. He pops the pills in his mouth and washes them down with the cocoa, wincing as his tongue burns. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry,” Asahi says. “That’ll heal in maybe thirty seconds.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that why you always chug hot things?” Daichi asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, what will heal?” Suga asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You never burned your tongue?” Daichi turns his head towards Suga in wonderment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think vampires take damage from that stuff. You’re telling me Asahi has been scalding their tongue all along and just coping because…why?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because it tastes good hot!” Asahi says, coming back into the living room with their own mug of cocoa and a blood bag for Suga. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have to be kidding me,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let off of me!” Asahi protests. “Come on, I’m fine. Look, I’ll drink this slow.” They take a quick, over-exaggeratedly tiny sip. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re ridiculous,” Suga says. Asahi settles in on the other side of Daichi and puts an arm over Daichi’s shoulders, laying their hand on Suga’s shoulder on the other side. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga flicks their forearm. “Are you sure you’re burning your tongue and not just allergic to chocolate?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not this again!” Asahi says. They throw back their head and laugh. Daichi traces the line of their throat with his eyes, looks over to see Suga snuggled in next to him. Suga pulls up a fluffy, gray blanket from where it’s lying on the floor next to the couch and tosses it over the three of them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You need to stay warm,” they say to Daichi. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m wounded; I don’t have a fever!” Daichi protests. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t even keep a fever warm,” Asahi says. “I don’t think?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well you get chills,” Daichi says. “And I don’t have chills because a, I don’t have a fever, and b, I’m sitting next to a toaster oven.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well maybe I’m cold,” Suga says. “Being undead and all.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your </span>
  <em>
    <span>feet</span>
  </em>
  <span> are cold,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not even touching you,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, they’re right,” Daichi says. “Your feet are freezing.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you wore socks for once in your life—” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They’re cut off by Suga. “Not alive!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you wore socks for once in your undeath, you’d have warm and toasty feet.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t like the way they constrict my toes,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We could get you toe socks,” Daichi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is not the 90s.” Suga wraps their arm around him a little tighter and leans over to kiss him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s that for?” Daichi asks when their lips part. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe I just felt like kissing you,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well hey, it’s my turn. Turn your head my way, wolf boy,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re a wolf too!” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not a boy, though,” Asahi says. They reach over to caress Daichi’s face, gently turning it toward them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re cute,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who are you talking to?” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suga smiles. “Both of you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi leans down to kiss Daichi on the nose. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on,” Daichi says. “If you’re not going to let me wallow in self-deprecation, you could at least kiss me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi huffs out a laugh and presses kiss after kiss to Daichi’s lips. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t drown the poor man,” Suga says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, no, they’re good.” Daichi smiles into the kiss attack. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How’re you holding up today?” Asahi asks Daichi once they pull back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” Daichi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You aren’t fine,” Suga says. “I can hear your heartbeat, you know.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My heart is fine,” Daichi protests. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your pulse is up,” Suga says. “From the pain.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine,” Daichi says. “I’m in a little bit of pain.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not your fault,” Daichi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asahi wraps their arm a little tighter around Daichi. “I still have nightmares, you know, when I think of what happened.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me too,” Suga says. “I didn’t…I told myself I wasn’t going to care about what happened to you, but seeing you like that…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Asahi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Daichi says. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t be sorry,” Suga says. “I mean, be sorry about lying to us, but also know that we forgive you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I almost lost you,” Asahi says, nuzzling into the side of his neck. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you found me,” Daichi says. He reaches for both their hands and squeezes. “You found me.” </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A final thanks to everyone!! <br/>-My lovely artist, @vanilla_beanss on Twitter<br/>-Adri and Kou, my incredible partners<br/>-And of course, my favorite cheerleaders, Sin Central!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you to Adri and Kou, Sin Central, and my artist @vanilla_beanss on Twitter!!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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